


Revelations

by DragonHeartStringCore



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-09
Updated: 2014-08-22
Packaged: 2018-01-11 02:51:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 77,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1167768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonHeartStringCore/pseuds/DragonHeartStringCore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermione is set a difficult but intriguing case at her job at the Ministry, leading her to discover things about herself, the future of the wizarding world and a man she never thought she'd have to see again.<br/>Set post DH and is mostly canon apart from Snape being alive.<br/>Epilogue mostly ignored.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Favours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: All the characters and the Harry Potter world belong to JK Rowling and I make no profit from this story, it is written purely for fun.
> 
> Thank you so much to my Beta Mari681 for doing an amazing job on this chapter!

"Pansy, for the last time, I can't help you!"

"Oh, come on Hermione, I've had this case for weeks and I haven't made any progress at all. You were the best at this and I could really use your help."

"I haven't worked in your department for almost a year now Pansy, I don't think I'd be much use at all." Said Hermione exasperatedly.

"Now I know that's a lie. You got promoted to the Missing Witches and Wizards department and it's not all that different. I'll owe you big time if you take this one for me." Pansy wheedled, smiling sweetly.

Hermione sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose. Pansy was a hard worker but often lacked the initiative to deal with some of the more complicated cases that came her way. As much as she’d hate to admit it, she and Pansy were friends, had been since they started working at the Ministry together, so she knew she should probably help her, it was good to keep up connections after all. Not to mention that she sort of owed Pansy for saving her from a rather nasty incident involving a sinking boat and some angry merpeople…

"Fine, I'll take the damn case!” Hermione finally conceded. “But don’t expect me to get it done all that quickly; I’ve got a lot on at the moment and a new client coming in this afternoon."

Hermione was almost knocked off her feet when Pansy practically threw the case file at her and hugged her tightly.

"Oh, thank Merlin for you Hermione! I don't know what I'd do without you!" She squealed as she scurried off towards the elevator before Hermione could change her mind. "And don't forget that I owe you a very large favour for this!" She shouted across the atrium as the doors closed on her.

"I most certainly won't." Hermione muttered as she started to walk back to her office.

She had been working at the ministry for just over three years now, having first started after finishing her final year at Hogwarts once the war was done.

Hermione had applied to join one of the new departments that had been created following the war to help deal with all the damage that had been done, and had worked her way quickly up the ranks. Initially, she had started in the Department of Missing Creatures and Artefacts, but after two years in the post she had been promoted. She was now a chief investigator for the Department of Missing Witches and Wizards, a department which, unfortunately, still had plenty of cases coming its way, even so long after the war.

Hermione walked into her large round office and sunk into her chair to take a look at what Pansy had given her. She probably should have asked about the case before, but her confidence in her abilities from her school days sometimes still got the better of her, and she had figured the case wouldn't be too hard. After all, Pansy was...Pansy.

How wrong she was.

The title of the case was bad enough. 'Seven Dragon Eggs Missing'. Hermione had already had to deal with one rogue dragon in her career, and that had been hard enough to deal with, but seven were another thing, especially if they were in the hands of the wrong people. It was the client's name however that filled her with more dread, Charlie Weasley.

The Weasleys and she were on slightly rocky ground at the moment, and had been since the very unpleasant break up between Ronald and her the previous year. Things had gone well at first, in the relief that followed the defeat of Voldemort, and she and Ron had been in a good relationship. He had, like Harry, become an auror but, although he was an adept wizard, he didn't fly to the top of the ranks like he thought he would.

Hermione, however, had aced all her NEWTS and had quickly become the talk of the ministry as she solved even the hardest of cases. Wherever they went, witches and wizards had asked her to recount the many stories she had and commended her for her work, often ignoring Ron sulking by her side.

It had not taken Ron long to become jealous and spiteful of her success, causing him to be grumpy and irrational almost all the time, and it had slowly been becoming unbearable. The last straw finally came when Hermione returned from recovering a library's worth of rare books on dark magic hidden in deepest, darkest Russia. She had come home excited to tell him all about it, only to find that in her absence, Ron had taken up again with his sixth year girlfriend Lavender Brown. 

Hermione had jinxed and hexed him as he'd tumbled out of bed with the panic of being caught etched on his face. He had run after her towards the floo, his pants still around his ankles. Before he had the chance to speak she'd abruptly told him it was over and gone straight to Harry's in a blast of green flames.

Both Ron and all the Weasleys, Mrs. Weasley in particular, had tried to convince her to take him back, but, with Harry on her side, she had stood her ground. Unfortunately, however, her relationship with the Weasleys was ruined.

She understood why they were so distraught, they had probably assumed that she and Ron would get married, that she would be the mother of their grandchildren, nieces and nephews, so it was bound to hurt. However, after their efforts seemed to be failing they had started to blame the entire debacle on her, saying that it was no wonder Ron had strayed with Hermione working all the time and being off in other countries. It had enraged her that they still couldn't see their sweet little boy for what he was, a cheating, jealous little prick.

Despite the way things had ended she had still been very sad about losing them and missed the family that had become her own over the years. Perhaps she could try and fix things by helping Charlie, as he hadn't taken it as badly as the rest of his family. Hopefully she'd be able to use this case to her advantage then, probably the only positive thing about it thus far.

Hermione was broken out of her reverie before she could read the contents of the file when her clock struck three and there was a knock at her door.

She was expecting a client today and was pleasantly surprised when said client turned up on time. Many wizards did seem to have a tendency to be late, but then again, she shouldn't be all that surprised, considering that her client today was the wonderful, and always punctual, Andromeda Tonks.


	2. A Challenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the amazing Mari681

Hermione greeted Andromeda enthusiastically and pulled her into a hug as she opened the door to her. They had become good friends after the end of the war, especially as both of them had lost their families. Nymphadora and Ted were dead and Hermione's own parents couldn't remember her. It was sad that such awful things had brought them together, but over the years Andromeda had become almost a second mother to Hermione, particularly after the falling out with Mrs. Weasley. Hermione was very happy that they had become so close, in spite of the reason.

"Oh Hermione dear! It has been far too long since I've seen you. I hope I won't have to keep making appointments with you to see you."

"I know, I know - I must make more time for you. It has been what? Five whole days since I saw you at Teddy's Birthday." Hermione joked. "But, come now, you must sit down, as I'm assuming this isn't just a friendly visit." She said gesturing to the large, black baroque chair on the other side of her desk.

Andromeda's face suddenly took on an apprehensive and forlorn expression as she took her seat. She pulled an old brown envelope from her bag and clutched it tightly in her hands, her knuckles white.

"So what brings you here today?" Hermione asked tentatively, taking her own seat.

It took Andromeda a while to reply, as if she was having an internal debate as to whether whatever she was about to do was a good idea. Eventually, she made a decision and, with a big sigh, she began to explain.

"As you know, I've started to sort through a lot of Ted's old things. Last week, I went to his vault in Gringotts and I came across this." She said, passing the envelope to Hermione. "It was tied to a small chest which, at present, I haven't been able to get inside. It's probably easier if you read what it says yourself."

Hermione carefully slid the piece of paper out of the envelope and started to read.

_To Andromeda and Myself,_   
_You will have no recollection of this letter ever being written or of the information that it contains._   
_This letter is here to serve as a clue as to what lies inside the chest to which this is attached._   
_In the year 1979 a baby was born. Due to the dangerous circumstances of the war, and additional threatening factors which I am not able to sufficiently explain in such a short letter, the child was given to a muggle couple who I was very close to in my youth. However, after finishing writing this, I will no longer remember who they are._   
_As I expect the people most likely to read this are my wife and myself, I must offer a warning, the next part of what I am about to write will come as a great and devastating shock to you and you must understand that we did what had to be done to prevent any harm from coming to the child, Andromeda's child._   
_The baby is not my own, but I would have treated it as such had I been given the chance. It broke both of our hearts to do what we had to, but we saw no other way to truly protect our baby._   
_Inside the chest we placed the name, birth date and details of the adoptive parents of the child and, after this is written and hidden, we will obliviate ourselves to remove all knowledge of the child and its whereabouts so that the information cannot be tortured from us should that event arise._   
_I am truly sorry and I hope that, one day, we find our baby again._

_Only those who know what they seek will find it._

_Ted Tonks._

Hermione was lost for words as she slowly placed the paper down on the table. The letter brought back the memory of what she had done to her own parents, and the all too familiar feelings of anguish and guilt which she tried so hard to keep in check started to bring tears to her eyes. She couldn't imagine how Andromeda must be feeling now, finding out that she had a child out there somewhere that she had never known and that had never known her.

She looked up at the sound of a sniff and saw that tears were running down Andromeda's cheeks too and she quickly went around the table to take her hands in her own.

"Oh Andromeda, I...I can't believe what I've read, I want to help you in any way that I can and, oh Merlin, I just want to fix this for you." She gushed. Andromeda had been through so much because of the wars and the prejudices which had caused it and Hermione couldn't bear to think that it had taken a second child from her too.

Andromeda squeezed Hermione's hands and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you Hermione, it means so much to me to know you'll help. At first I didn't know what to do when I read the letter, but when I decided that I needed to find out what happened to the child, my child, I knew that you were the only person I could trust with the job."

"And I will do my upmost to work this out for you." She said firmly as she walked back round to her chair and got straight down to business.

"Right, first things first, do you have the chest with you and is there any other information you can give me?"

"Yes, I have the chest, but it seems impossible to get into. I've tried all sorts of different spells and read at least ten books on wards, locking and protective charms, but nothing I do seems to make any difference at all." She sighed.

"That’s curious, well, leave it with me and I'll see if I can get it open. Was there anything else in the envelope?"

"...Yes and no." Andromeda replied unsurely.

"How do you mean?" Hermione asked, cocking her head slightly.

"Well...inside there was a small brown hair. I was about to discard it thinking it was my own, when I realised how fine and soft it was. I thought, well maybe, it belonged to the baby."

Andromeda pulled out a small silver box which inside held a single curled strand of hair. Hermione looked long and hard at it, and also concluded that it looked like the hair of a baby, not Andromeda's, and at the moment it was probably the strongest lead she had.

"Now. I realise this is a very sensitive subject for you, but do you have any idea who the father of the child is?" She questioned, knowing it could be awkward but the answer might be key to her investigation.

Someone who didn't know Andromeda as well as Hermione did wouldn't have noticed the way her eyes twitched just a little when she asked the question, or how what she said sounded ever so slightly rehearsed.

"No idea at all, the obliviate clearly did what it was supposed to do, and I don't think knowing will help us find my child." Andromeda stated somewhat coldly.

Clearly, this was something Andromeda didn't want Hermione to know - but there must be a reason why not. Was she ashamed? Or Scared? She wouldn't push her for an answer now, but she knew it was something she would need to find out. Eventually.

"I suppose you're right, anything else you can think of that might be helpful?" Hermione asked, trying to move them away from the subject.

Andromeda paused for a moment, clearly deep in thought, but shook her head. "Not that I can think of now. I'll let you know if I come up with something though."

"Of course. Well, I think I have quite a bit here to be getting on with for the time being, and I'll owl you if I need anything or learn something." Hermione said cheerily.

"Thank you so much Hermione, this means more to me than I can describe." She said as she got up.

"It's my pleasure, always, but are you leaving already? We have so much to talk about."

"I'm afraid I have to pick Teddy up from Harry and Ginny's but we must catch up again soon."

"Of course, say hello to the Potters for me would you? And little Teddy too."

"I will, and...thank you again Hermione." Andromeda said as she smiled and turned to the door, leaving Hermione to one of the hardest cases she had ever been given. Even those missing dragon eggs would likely be a walk in the park compared to this.

Once Andromeda was gone Hermione slumped into her chair and set her mind to work at a rapid pace, thoroughly going through all the clues and their implications.

If what the letter said was true, and if the child was still alive, it would be about the same age as her, so around 23. In that case, if it was a witch or wizard, which was highly likely considering the child's mother was a pureblood, then it only stood to presume that it had been one of Hermione's fellow students at Hogwarts.

The person most likely believed that they were muggle-born, which did narrow down the candidates of who it could be. Unless of course, the child had been a squib, or if the muggles who took the baby had been instructed not to allow the child to go to Hogwarts. Then again, the letter didn't say anything of that nature, and it probably wasn't very likely anyway.

She could always go through all the muggle-borns in her year and ask the parents if their child was adopted or not. That, however, would be potentially problematic considering many of them had died in the war at Hogwarts those few years ago and those left may be unwilling to talk. Perhaps she could try and find out who Ted had gone to school with, maybe she would find a familiar name among the list.

Hermione re-read the letter to see if there was anything that she was missing and something she had overlooked the last time stuck out to her. _Only those who know what they seek will find it._  It struck her as odd, and knew that it was probably an important part of the puzzle she had to solve, wondering what it could possibly mean.

Her best clue at the moment though, lied in the hair that was found in the envelope. From what she knew of Edward Tonks, he was a very clever man. It would seem a very clever thing to do to leave the only clue to who the child was as something that could so easily be discarded or looked over, preventing strangers from discovering the secret.

She decided that her optimal course of action would be to use the hair in a polyjuice potion, and hopefully it would result in her turning into whoever the child was. However, she had some doubts about whether it would work. She knew polyjuice would give you the appearance of whoever you took the hair from but what if they had changed drastically since the hair was taken, like losing a limb, would those changes still take place? And if the person had aged twenty years would that show too? She knew her best bet of getting some answers would be to go and visit the best source of knowledge on potions she knew.

Professor Severus Snape.


	3. Unexpected Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by Mari681 who has yet again done a wonderful job.

The next day, Hermione gathered the chest and the letter and apparated to just outside the grounds of Hogwarts. She made her way to the gates where she was greeted by a young auror. After the war, security around the Hogwarts grounds was increased on account of the surprisingly large number of death eaters that were still on the loose. It meant that apparation inside the grounds was a privilege given to only a few, as was travel by floo, several protective spells prevented anyone from simply walking in.

The auror asked for her identity as well as her wand in order to check that said wand was in fact hers. After the stories of their adventures in the war had become common knowledge, especially their impersonation of Bellatrix, several new measures had been developed for checking a person's identity. The spell the auror was now using was accordingly called the Gringotts Charm. Even if a person was using the polyjuice potion, and presented that persons wand, the charm would show if they were an imposter. Although, these days that wasn't all that likely. The use of polyjuice potion for non-ministry purposes, after all, was prohibited, and all previous stores of the potion had been destroyed.

It had come as a surprise to Hermione, considering her extensive experience with it, that polyjuice was in fact a pretty rare potion so it had shocked quite a few to find out that it had been used to cause so much trouble during the war.

Once her identity was confirmed, Hermione was allowed through the gates and she started the long walk up through the grounds to the school. Even though it had been years since she had been here as a student herself, she still remembered every little detail about the place. To her, it felt like home, and it was good to be back.

Once inside she was almost knocked over by a couple to first years running to class, Gryffindors unsurprisingly, clearly late for their first lesson of the day, and she couldn't help but let out a small laugh as she recalled Harry and Ron's first transfiguration lesson. It made her sad to remember that her friendship with Ron had been destroyed and that all those happy years they had spent together were all over.

She snapped herself out of her thoughts, reminding herself that it would do no good to think on it, and made her way to the defence against the dark arts classroom where, hopefully, she would find Snape. Approaching the door, she knocked tentatively, the old fear of her ex-professor still causing her to act like a schoolgirl around him, despite the fact that they had become quite close when she had returned to finish her last year of Hogwarts.

As no answer came, she slowly opened the door to find the room empty and, looking on the timetable inside the door, saw that there weren’t any classes today, how curious. She then decided she would go and check the potions lab as that was the next most likely place that Severus would be found. When she got there it too was empty but a class was due to start in half an hour, so she thought that she may as well wait for Slughorn to show up and see if he could help her instead.

Hermione became restless after a few minutes, it wasn't in her nature to sit around and do nothing, so decided she would make the best use of her time. She checked the shelves to see if there were any books in the room that might be useful to her case, Hogwarts, after all, was known for its impressive collection of literature. She picked up quite an old and uncommon book on high level potions and, leaning against one of the desks, began to flick through the pages in hope that it might hold the answers she was looking for.

Several minutes passed in a blur until she was startled by the fireplace roaring to life, causing her to almost drop the delicate book. Even before the green flames had subsided, she heard an all too familiar voice drawl "Well, well. Miss Granger, what brings you here to make my day just that little bit more…distasteful."

She whirled around and saw the immaculately dressed blonde with cane in hand, looking at her with disdain on his face, his eyebrow slightly raised as he questioned her. The ever infuriating, Lucius Malfoy.

"I think a more pertinent question would be to ask what you are doing here? And how is it you were able to floo here?" She snapped back at him, her hand automatically hovering over where she kept her wand. He still managed to instil fear within her, his face one which haunted her dreams, having never forgotten the way he'd simply turned his back on her when Bellatrix tortured her in his home. Even though he hadn't done anything wrong since the war, she was still wary of him. He was an intimidating man, and she couldn't help but feel threatened around him.

"Now, I really did expect you to already know why I am here Miss Granger. After all, your reputation, which I have had the misfortune of hearing about oh so often, as the brightest witch of your age, precedes you."

Hermione stood there in silence for a few seconds, resisting the urge not to hex the haughty expression right off his face. She was frantically trying to think of how he had managed to floo into Hogwarts and what awful thing he planned to do whilst he was there.

"I see I shall have to enlighten you." He sighed as he made his way over to the professor's chair and, sitting down, slowly started to remove his gloves. "I assume you are familiar with the terms of my freedom." It again was a statement not a question and it frustrated Hermione how he managed to dismiss her intelligence without directly saying it.

"Of course, I was called as a witness to your trial if you recall." She brusquely replied.

"Ah, yes, so you were...you really did try hard to put me away, didn't you?"

She was about to snap back at him, but the words stuck in her throat as he looked up from the floo ash he was brushing off his shoulder and caught her eyes with an icy stare.

"Anyway, as you have pointed out that you so obviously know, a term of my release was that, for five years, I would aid the wizarding world in any way the Ministry saw fit." He continued before Hermione could interrupt him. "And as such, they have had me doing a multitude of things. Helping in trials, aiding ministry workers and even using my own home as a safe house for ruffians and muggle-borns alike." He stated, and although he kept his emotions in check very well, Hermione could still see the disgust on his face at just the thought of having muggle-borns in his home.

"And now they have ordered that I fill in as a member of staff here on account of the professor's sudden departure." Lucius informed her, clearly beyond annoyed that he had to do such a thing.

The feeling of loathing that had slowly been building in Hermione since Lucius had entered the room was suddenly replaced by panic.

"Oh Merlin! What's happened to Severus? Is he okay?"

She was too flustered to notice Lucius raise his eyebrows in intrigue at her use of the professor's first name and continued in her questioning. "You haven't done something to him have you?" She accused as she pointed her wand at him.

"Now, Hermione. Surely you should know by now that I would never harm  _Severus_." He said as he made a point of emphasizing his friend’s name, clearly revelling in the way it made her blush. "And he is fine; it is Professor Slughorn who has suddenly deserted his post."

She let out a sigh of relief at his words, silently berating herself for assuming so quickly that Malfoy had hurt Severus. It was easy to forget sometimes the few good things that her school nemesis' father had done, in spite of the time when his role as a death eater had become his identity.

Before the battle at Hogwarts, it had transpired that Snape had taken a potion which acted as an antidote to Nagini's poison, similar to one used on Mr Weasley back when they were in fifth year. One effect of the potion was to put the person in a coma-like state in order to focus all of the body's attention on fighting the poison and this is what she, Harry and Ron had seen, thinking in their hurry that Snape had died.

It had in fact been Malfoy who had found Snape when he fled the battle with his family. Snape had been lying in the boat house slowly dying from blood loss caused by the gaping wounds in his neck. Malfoy performed several healing spells on him, and carried him from the grounds, thus saving his life. He had stood by him too, even when he found out Snape had been working for the other side all along.

"I still don't see why they have asked you to be here?" She questioned, suspicious of his reasons for being in Hogwarts.

"Well, Slughorn's position needed to be filled. Severus could have easily taken up the role of potions master again, but, that would leave the position of the defence against the dark arts open and, somewhat unsurprisingly, the Ministry didn't want me teaching that." He ended in a tone that showed just how much he despised the institution that had such a great hold over him, before continuing. "So, it may surprise you to find out, even though you must think I spent all my time torturing and murdering the innocent, I am in fact almost as skilled as Severus when it comes to potions.”

"I can't say that I'm all that shocked, no. Despite my feelings towards you, I am able to recognise that you are an intelligent man."

"A trait I believe we share." He said as a small frown appeared on his face, realising that he had just inadvertently complimented the witch he had come to so despise.

"I hadn't heard about Slughorn. I've been in Tuscany on a case and I tend to miss things whilst I'm gone, do you know why he has left?" She enquired, surprising herself at how civil she sounded.

"No, I don't believe anyone really knows. Although, if you're curious, I'm sure you're more than capable of finding out what you want to know. I do believe you're one of your department's best are you not?"

It surprised her to hear that Malfoy knew where she worked, let alone how good she was at her job. Then again, he was a very fastidious man, so it only stood to reason that he would keep tabs on what one of the people who had aided in his ruin was doing.

After the war Lucius was put to trial, and she had been outraged when he was allowed to go free with nothing but a large fine, monthly inspections of his home and the five years of aiding the Ministry. Admittedly, it had been proven that despite his high standings in Voldemort's ranks, he had rarely participated in the more despicable atrocities performed by the death eaters, having held more of a figurehead and financial role. It likely helped his case that his wife had essentially saved Harry's life and that he himself had saved Severus. Hermione, however, didn't think that outweighed what he had done and the pureblood ideologies he still so obviously held.

"Yes I suppose I can look into it myself. Anyway, I've wasted enough of my time here talking to you. I have to go and find Snape now." She said as she slowly began to make her way to the door, suddenly starting to feel uncomfortable under his cold glare. "And I shall be stopping by the Headmistress' office to see that your story checks out." She disclosed, still not wanting to believe that he was being allowed to teach at Hogwarts.

Just as she was about to reach the door his voice caught her again. "I happen to know that Severus isn't in today as he is chaperoning a trip to Romania, something about dragons I believe." He stated, his voice showing that he found the idea of having to accompanying lots of children around dangerous animals entirely odious, something Hermione shared his sentiments about. Then his voice changed tone slightly "And, now that you have finished accusing me of breaking into Hogwarts and harming my oldest friend, I believe it is time for you to answer my initial question Miss Granger. An eye for an eye, after all." The corner of his mouth turning up ever so slightly at the look of obvious annoyance on Hermione's face.

"Why are you here?"


	4. A Proposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks very much to my Beta Mari681 for her work on this chapter.

Lucius could tell by the look on Hermione's' face that she could barely believe the conversation she was having, that he, such an awful ex-death eater, would have the audacity to question her, the perfect little Gryffindor hero. He could see that she was still scared of him though, in the way her hand was never far from where she kept her wand, how she never let her gaze stray from him, and that, in itself, was triumph enough for him.

He hated having to admit to himself that he was mildly curious as to what she was doing here; he, after all, couldn't help but hear about her intriguing line of work, however, he tried to convince himself that it wasn't the reason he was wasting his time talking to her, making her squirm should be incentive enough.

"Shall I repeat myself?" He asked, as if he was talking to a recalcitrant child.

"I heard you the first time Malfoy." She spat. "And I don't see how it's any business of yours."

Lucius knew what she said was true, but he liked the challenge, to see if he could manipulate her. He always did enjoy games of the mind such as this and, despite her blood status, he couldn't deny that this witch was smart.

"Perhaps I may be able to assist you" He said as he forced his lips into the smile he so often had to use to get his way. "I have, after all, helped your department in quite a few cases - if you recall - and although you may not like it, I currently am the best source of knowledge on potions in Hogwarts at the present time."

"How...why do you assume I want to talk about potions?" Hermione questioned warily, clearly forgetting her senses under the pressure of the situation.

He gestured to the room they were in and raised his eyebrow at her, causing her cheeks to redden slightly at her slowness.

"I would much rather come back another time and see Severus, than talk to someone like you."

Lucius saw her catch herself calling Severus by his first name again, but she had probably hoped he hadn't noticed. Granger was growing more interesting by the second.

"Someone like me? You wound me, Miss Granger, with your prejudices." He said in a sarcastic tone.

"I wound you! My prejudices!" She shouted as she marched back towards him, anger spreading across her face, and he couldn't help but let a low laugh escape his lips at how easy it was to rile her up. It was slightly off putting while she stood there with anger in her eyes and for a moment, he couldn't help but be reminded of Bellatrix, but he concluded it must just be the wild hair.

"Do we need to discuss the outcome of my trial again, or are you forgetting that I was acquitted?"

"Falsely." Hermione snapped. "I still can't believe the Ministry morons let you go and just live your life with barely any consequences at all."

Another single laugh came from him as he thought of how ignorant she was to his situation, a slightly bitter laugh this time. How foolish was she to truly believe there hadn't been consequences, that he was free.

"What's so funny?" She questioned, distrust in her eyes.

"You wouldn't understand." He stated, quite calmly in contrast to her volatile mood. "Not while you see me as you do."

He could see she was about to respond when her eye caught something on his desk.

"What is that?" She questioned, as she picked up a piece of paper sticking out from the pile he had pulled out of his bag. Once he saw what it was, he cursed himself for bringing it here. The paper, in itself ,was not something bad to have in one's possession, but it did indicate illicit activities which, if he was thought to be attending, could cause problems. Before he could come up with a solution however, she provided him with a way out.

"Is this for an underground auction? May I have it?" She asked, with excitement lining her voice.

"You didn't strike me as the type to attend such events, aren't you full of surprises." He said smugly.

"It's for a case! I've got to find some missing magical creatures, and this is just the sort of place they might show up." Hermione said defensively, as she skimmed the page. "There's no location." She commented.

"An astute observation, how odd that it isn't there." He said in a voice which suggested he knew otherwise.

"Do you know where it's being held?" She asked impatiently, clearly tired of his behaviour.

"Perhaps I do." He responded, knowing that it was in her nature to crave knowledge and, perhaps, it would cause her to stay a little longer. He tried to convince himself it was because he wanted to find out what she was up to, but, part of him knew that wasn't entirely true. "Maybe if you were to answer by own questions I might be more inclined to share."

Hermione muttered something incoherent under her breath and folded her arms. She was clearly having an internal debate in her head; he could just imagine the conversation she was having with herself, knowledge or pride.

"You first." She demanded, finally caving, and it sent a satisfied thrill through Lucius.

"How do I know you'll actually tell me once I reveal my knowledge on the matter?" He asked, it being in his nature to be suspicious of everybody.

"Unlike you, I have some honour and I keep my promises." She said proudly.

"Ah, of course, how could I have forgotten that I'm a good for nothing death eater." Lucius drawled. "But, very well, you may ask first." He said before she could cut him off with what would no doubt be some venomous remark about his past.

"Where is this being held and what do you know about it?"

"Typically the location is only revealed to those who know a certain password, one which I don't know, _yet_. However, I'm sure I would be able to find the information once the time arose. All I know now is what it says on the page."

"Well, that wasn't very helpful." She complained.

"You never said I had to be helpful, you just said I had to answer your question."

She frowned, but clearly couldn't find a hole in his logic, and he thoroughly enjoyed that it seemed to be frustrating her.

"Now then, why are you here?" He asked for the third time.

"I require some answers about the polyjuice potion for one of my cases, amongst other things..."

"And what is it about polyjuice you don't already know? I thought you, of all people, would be an expert on the topic." He enquired, actually surprised that she was requiring help.

"I can't find anything on how fresh the hair used in the potion needs to be, and I'm worried about possible effects on the drinker. I mean, what would happen if, say, the hair used was from someone who'd changed or aged dramatically?" She trailed off, seeming now to be talking to herself more than to him.

"Well then, isn't it useful that you told me."

"Do you know anything about it?" She asked as an eager smile came to her face, clearly forgetting the company she was in.

"I do, it was my misfortune to have to investigate a similar question for Voldemort." He cringed slightly as he said the name, the effect the man had had on his life still difficult for him even now he was dead. "It was a somewhat different question, but still, it may offer you an insight."

"Well what was it?" She asked in a tone a little too friendly for his liking. He could remedy that easily enough.

"It depends how much you want to know." He said, reigniting her annoyance with him, the smile now gone from her face. Was it odd that he was sad to see it go? Wasn't that what he was aiming for?

"I could always take this flier to the Ministry and cause you some trouble, you know." She said, looking triumphant at her threat. Lucius knew he should have tried to get the paper back from her before the thought came to her, clearly he was growing slow these days with lack of practice.

"Ah, but wouldn't it be so much easier to answer another question of mine?"

"What?" She asked shortly, clearly irritated by him but able to see sense in his words.

"What is in that box I can see in your bag?"

"I don't know." She stated simply.

"Any idea's at all?" He pressed, intrigued by the intricate chest.

"No, it seems to have been very heavily warded - that's another reason I came to see Snape, to see if he can get into it." Hermione explained.

Ah, she managed not to say Severus this time, she's learning.

"Most curious…but now you've answered my question so I will answer yours. You see Miss Granger, I really am a man of my word." He said with a dashing smile.

"Fine" She huffed, obviously not wanting to believe him. "Tell me what you know."

"I wasn't entirely sure why at the time, but I understand now that it had something to do with his horcruxes. The Dark Lord asked some of his followers to see if you could polyjuice yourself into someone who was dead."

"And can you?" She asked tentatively, clearly unsure whether or not she really wanted to know the answer. "I thought that was impossible."

"I shared your opinion on the matter at first, but, it would appear it has been labelled as impossible to stop wizards from doing it." He began. "It may surprise you to hear that, yes, it is possible, however, there were complications."

"What sort of complications?"

"Well, from what I was told, you would turn into whatever condition the person had been in upon their death. So if they died from a severed limb, for example, then the person who had taken the polyjuice would also be missing a limb."

"So like when Barty Crouch Junior turned into Mad-eye?" Hermione suggested, seeming a little more relaxed at hearing his explanation. That was about to change.

"Yes, I suppose so, but in this case, the wound was as it was when the person died...still fresh, causing large amounts of blood loss." He said as he wrinkled his nose slightly at the memory.

"Oh god, that's awful...but very helpful." She added, and Lucius was pleased to see she at least had some manners.

"What do you want to use the potion for? I assume your needs are somewhat less disagreeable than his." He asked, trying to move away from the morbid memory.

"I have, what I believe to be, a hair from a child taken about twenty years ago. I need to find out what will happen if I use it in a polyjuice potion, or if it will even work."

"That's an interesting question, I'd never really thought about it like that. I suppose your primary concern is if the potion will turn you into the age the person was when the hair was taken?" He questioned, seeming unable to stop himself from being drawn into the conversation.

"Yes, I suppose so, but now you've got me worried it will cause me to temporarily lose a limb." She said, clearly exasperated.

"I am not aware of the circumstances of the person in question, but it is unlikely that is the case." He found himself reassuring her.

"I suppose...although I'm still concerned about the aging, but my more immediate problem is going to be getting hold of some of the potion" She said as she started to pace around the room. "I could apply for a brewing permit, but that could take weeks. I can't exactly make one myself without getting fined, and the only place that can really brew one without authorisation would be-" She cut herself off and turned to face him, a sly smile playing on her lips. Why did he have a bad feeling about this?

"Mr. Malfoy, I would like to make you a proposal."

"And what makes you think I will agree to it?" He questioned angrily, causing her hand to hover back over her wand. He had almost forgotten, due to the stimulating nature of their conversation, about whom and what he was talking to, and felt the need to reinstate his superiority over her.

"I'm sure that the Ministry would love to hear about the crowds you're stilling hanging around with." Hermione taunted, waving the auction flier around. She truly was infuriating.

"It depends. What do you want?" He asked, letting out a sigh which came across a little like a growl.

"All I'd need you to do would be to make me a batch of polyjuice potion, and, in return, I'll pretend that I never saw this piece of paper." She said, rather smugly.

"I suppose that is not such an odious task." He admitted.

"Good." She said as she outstretched her hand to him "So do we have a deal?"

"I don't really have a choice, that is, unless I want to risk a trip to Azkaban by hexing you…although I suppose I could just obliviate you couldn't I." He mused.

"I'd like to see you try." She threatened, although he noticed not with full conviction. It was as if she thought he wouldn't actually do it. He told himself he would have, if it was necessary of course.

"I see no need for it, you are, as you say, an honourable person, so I shall trust you to keep this between us." He said, taking her hand and pulling her rather roughly towards him so that their faces were mere inches apart. "But understand this." He said in almost a whisper. "I am doing this not because of your threat, but because it pleases me to see how much of a Slytherin you really are. I wonder if your dear friends know what you're really like?"

Lucius heard her release the breath she'd been holding and look into his eyes, and, for a second, he swore her head tilted ever so slightly up towards his as her eyes flickered to his lips. He almost felt himself moving toward her, but, caught himself, quickly releasing her hand causing her to stumble back slightly looking flustered.

Somewhat stunned, she quickly turned and walked towards the door, calling back to him, "It's been a pleasure seeing you today Mr. Malfoy" In a tone so sarcastic, it even challenged his own. "And I'll be back for the potion in a month."

And then Hermione was gone, and for some reason Lucius couldn't comprehend, he wanted to see her again.


	5. Investigation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by the fabulous Mari681.

That evening Hermione apparated back to her home in central London, Cranley Place, being part of the golden trio and having a high profile job at the Ministry did have its perks. Most people would find living in such a large house by themselves lonely, but, as she curled up into a sofa after grabbing a book from her extensive personal library, she couldn't help but feel content. It was coming up to the end of November, one of her favourite times of year, the cold making for a great excuse to read by the fire. Not that she needed an excuse, but...

As she tried to focus on her book, _The Unsolved Cases of the Wizarding World,_ she found her mind kept drifting back to the events of the day. The encounter should have gone differently than it had, she should have seen who it was and left, but, instead she'd been drawn into his little game and, even worse, she'd enjoyed it. Hermione kept trying to tell herself that it was the information she gained which made it such an interesting encounter, but, in reality, it was not his information, but his parting words to her which were playing over and over in her head - _it pleases me to see how much of a Slytherin you really are_.

It was true that, after being exposed to the worst of the world from her years being one of Harry Potter's best friends, that she had become much more devious and cunning, but a Slytherin, really? And why did she even care what Lucius bloody Malfoy thought of her anyway?

She should hate him and fear him, and, in truth, she did. He was an ex-death eater and pureblood supremacist, who could probably kill her without much trouble if he wanted to, and thought she was just a stupid little…mudblood. Even thinking the word made her cringe, just as much as it did the first time Draco Malfoy had called her it, back in her early years of Hogwarts. Like father, like son she thought. Although, then again, from the little she'd seen of Lucius, he seemed to differ from Draco in quite a few ways, and not all bad. However, he was the first person in a long time she had been able to have such a stimulating conversation with. All she had been talking about since the war was Voldemort this, quidditch that, Ron's a bastard, and it was exhilarating to hear something new, even if it was coming from Lucius Malfoy.

Hermione was determined to continue reading the book, and succeeded, for half an hour or so, until she turned a page to see the next chapter titled ' _The Missing Marble Manticore of Malfoy Manor_ '. Below the title was a picture of a Malfoy from around 200 years ago, his hair still clearly platinum blond even in black and white, posing next to a large statue of the magical creature. Unfortunately for her concentration, the man looked strikingly like Lucius, and her mind started to wander again.

She thought of the way he had grabbed her hand and pulled her close, she should have stepped away, but something about the way his icy grey eyes bore into hers had stopped her from moving. As she had looked at his face she couldn't help but notice his sharp cheekbones, strong jaw and his lips which were pulled into an enticing devilish smile. Before she had known what she was doing, she had felt herself swaying towards him before his eyes had widened and she found herself being abruptly pushed backwards.

Hermione hid her head in the book as she remembered, really hopin he hadn't noticed. Why had she reacted that way to him? It was so wrong, she hated him, and there was nothing more to it. _So, why can't you stop thinking about him then?_ A subconscious part of her seemed to ask. Ugh, she couldn't be dealing with this right now. She had two big cases to solve, and she should be focusing on those.

Forcing herself up from the sofa, she made her way over to her bag and retrieved the folder on the missing dragon's eggs, and decided to look it over. There wasn't much information for her to go on, only that Charlie had collected the eggs found in an old death eater hideout - located from information given by Lucius Malfoy she begrudgingly read, and were preparing to transport them by portkey to Romania when they were ambushed. The eggs stolen were three Common Welsh Greens, two Hebridean Blacks, surprisingly enough, one rarer Ukrainian Ironbelly and one unidentified egg.

In the notes she read that no witches or wizards were harmed in the attack, although Horace Slughorn fainted, but this was concluded to be a result of the stress of the situation and not caused by a spell. Why was Slughorn there, she wondered, and now she thought about it, where was he now? She was also curious about the unidentified egg, it was odd that even Charlie didn't know what it was, and made a mental note to ask him about it soon.

After thinking about what to do next, Hermione decided her best course of action would be to go and see Harry. She could ask if he knew anything about the attack on the dragon eggs, finding dark wizards was his job after all, and maybe he could help her with the locked chest and Slughorn's whereabouts as well.

Once she had readied her things for the next day, she clambered into her bed, using a warming spell to heat up the crisp sheets, and snuggled up. Hermione knew that if she had any hope of keeping her mind away from Lucius Malfoy long enough that she could get to sleep at a decent time, it would be by reading, well, skipping any chapters on Malfoys that was.

Hermione managed to sleep for an hour or so, but was woken from her sleep by one of the nightmares about the war which still occasionally plagued her nights. She used to have them quite a lot when she had first returned to Hogwarts, but managed to avoid them most of the time these days, thanks to Severus. After she had done badly in one of his tests, and what a nightmare in itself that had been, she explained how she had been barely sleeping, and he told her that he could help her.

It turned out that one could use occlumency, not only to hide your thoughts from someone else, but also to temporarily push them to the back of even your own mind. He had offered to teach her the art, and, being a master at it himself, Hermione a quick learner, things had gone well. After spending so much time together out of the classroom, they had surprisingly become quite good friends.

Unfortunately for Hermione however, the talent didn't work so well when your mind was focused on that which you were trying to suppress, and she couldn't help but curse Lucius for reminding her of the past.

Knowing she wouldn't be getting back to sleep any time soon, Hermione decided to have a go at unlocking the chest. After trying a multitude of different spells, and checking more than a few books on high level wards for two hours, it still remained firmly sealed. Frustrated, and with sleep finally threatening to overtake her again, she made her way back to bed. She could only hope that she wouldn't have any more nightmares tonight, especially any with a particular blonde death eater in them.

* * *

The next day, she found herself sitting in Harry's office in the auror department, waiting for him to arrive. He did have a tendency to get into work late these days, probably an unavoidable consequence of living with the Weasleys whilst they planned his wedding to their only daughter. He had proposed to Ginny last month, and while the wedding wasn't due until April, it was likely, knowing Mrs Wesley, that the organising and preparation had already begun. It saddened Hermione a little, to know that she wouldn't be at the Burrow these coming months to help them out, even if it would have driven her crazy after a while, but she still felt left out. Although she was invited to the wedding itself, she knew it wouldn't be the same as being a part of all the planning.

Hermione didn't have time to think on what she was missing out on for long, as Harry came bustling through the door with papers sticking out his brief case and his hair in a dishevelled mess. She raised an eyebrow at him and gestured at his unusually messy appearance, only remembering after she'd done it, the fact that it was the exact same thing Malfoy had done to her yesterday.

"Dresses." He muttered as he made his way to his desk.

"Ah." She responded, knowing that was explanation enough.

After catching up on the wedding plans and how everybody was doing Hermione got straight down to business, first asking him if he could get someone to have a go at the chest.

"I've tried a lot of spells, but nothing is working for me. I was hoping someone in your department could have a go at it."

"Sure, we have a witch who specializes in this sort of thing so I'll send it on to her, I'll even have a go at it myself if you like." Harry offered.

"Thanks, Harry that would be great. I'm afraid that's not the only reason I came to see you today though."

Hermione explained the details of the dragon egg case, and asked if he had any more information about the attack. It turned out that the aurors had been tailing one of the attackers for quite some time, the department suspecting that he was a snatcher on the run after the war. Unfortunately, they hadn't been fast enough to stop the ambush, but got there in time to scare off the attackers. He explained that Slughorn had been there in an attempt to identify the mysterious egg, on account of his familiarity with some of the rarer and odder creatures of the wizarding world.

"He did always have a penchant for things like that, didn't he?" Hermione reminisced.

"Oh yeah, remember that time I caught him stealing Tentacula leaves in sixth year to sell on the black market?"

"How could I forget – Oh Harry, that reminds me, do you have any idea where I would be able to find any information about that kind of thing? I have a lead about an illegal auction but I'd like to find out more about it before I even think about going." She asked hastily.

"Please tell me you're not going to do something dangerous again, Hermione. I heard about the mer-people, you know." He said chuckling.

"Have a bit more faith in me Harry. You know I wouldn't do something reckless without being prepared." She could see him about to argue her point, but cut him off. "I had the situation under control, I'm here aren't I."

"Whatever you say." He conceded with a smile.

Harry was like a brother to her, her closest friend, she didn't know what she'd do without him and appreciated that he knew when to stop teasing her.

"Well...if you want to find out about illegal trading, your best bet would be in Knockturn alley. You should try Borgin and Burkes, I wouldn't be surprised if they knew a thing or two about it." Harry suggested.

"Ah, yes, of course, and don't worry I'll be careful." She said before Harry could warn her. She knew he was simply protective of her, but she had proved many a time just what a capable and powerful witch she was, and it did annoy her a little that he still treated her like a first year sometimes.

"On the topic of Slughorn, have you heard about him leaving his post at Hogwarts?" She asked.

"Yes, McGonagall owled me about it. You'll never guess who they've got replacing him."

"I think I have a pretty good guess." She mumbled.

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." She lied, not really wanting to recall what had happened the day before. "Anyway, it seems a little odd to me that he would up and leave so abruptly. There must be a reason for it."

"It does sound strange, if not wholly out of character. I'll see if anyone in the department has heard anything."

"Thanks again, Harry, you're always so helpful. Anyway, I'll let you get back to your work, looks like you've got a lot to do."

They said their goodbyes, Hermione going back to her office to work on some of her other cases. Once it was evening and everyone else had gone home, she decided she would follow up on Harry's idea, and made her way to Knockturn alley.

* * *

Hermione wore her biggest cloak with the hood up as she made her way through the street, it was best that she wasn't recognised in a place like this, especially as nearly everyone knew her face these days. She quietly entered the shop and saw another patron was up at the counter, so she pretended to browse the shop.

Noticed they were talking, she slowly made her way closer to the two men in order to hear what they were saying. The customer was well dressed, but dirty, as if he'd been to a place where animals were kept, and he had quite a few scratches and scars on his face. She was as close as she could get without looking suspicious, but they were speaking in hushed tones so she couldn't make out anything. Under her breath, she cast a variation of the amplifying charm, making the desired sound louder to only the caster.

"So I hear there's a big one coming up soon, your lot bringing anything?" The man behind the counter was asking.

"Might be, nothing you'd be interested in though I'm sure." The other sneered.

"I don't know about that, word has it that you're in possession of something very interesting indeed, seven something's if I'm right."

"Now where did you hear about that?" The scarred man asked as he grabbed the other by the collar. "No one is supposed to know about that. Those eggs are going to make us all very rich, and we don't want word getting out to the wrong people about the auction. You don't want just anybody turning up you know, especially not those imbeciles from the Ministry."

Hermione's face lit up at the mention of what she was looking for and, in her excitement, managed to knock something over. She tried to catch it, her hood falling down and dropping her wand in the process, but missed, and the object smashed to the ground. Suddenly, both men turned to face her, having been seemingly oblivious to her presence up until then, and the man with the scars let go of the other and started to walk towards her, wand pointing straight at her.

"Now what do we have here? Looks like an eavesdropper to me." He said menacingly as he edged closer to her.

Instinctively, she reached for her wand, but to her distress, her hand closed around thin air. The man was getting closer and she started to panic, backing away from him towards the door, frantically scanning the floor for her wand.

He followed her, his strides getting faster, wand raised, and she was sure he was about to attack her when suddenly, she felt a strong arm pushing her out the way, saw a flash of long platinum blonde hair.


	6. Discovery

She fell backwards, hitting her head on the way down. It burned with pain but nothing could distract her from what was happening in front of her.

The scarred man had shot a stunning spell her way only to find a new target stepping into its path, a target who with a casual flick of his wand deflected the spell. Several more curses came flying towards him, none even getting close, each one more panicked and frenzied than the last as the man realised who he was facing.

"Incarcerous" Came the haughty voice of Lucius Malfoy, his tone dripping with boredom as though he was fighting a first year.

Chains sprung forth from his wand and bound themselves around the man, causing him to crash to the ground and his wand to fall from his hand. A pristine dragon hide boot stopped it as it rolled across the floor, and with a twist from his foot, the wand cracked under his heel.

The shopkeeper, who had stood mouth agape watching the scene unfold, suddenly broke from his state of shock and apparated from the building. The sound snapped Lucius back to reality, who had been glaring at the man on the floor with a look of disdain on his face, and now he turned to look down at Hermione.

"Miss Granger, I did not expect to see you again so soon." He said with the forced smile he wore so well.

"Trust me Malfoy, it was not intended" She said in a voice that came out much weaker, and with much less conviction, than she had intended.

Hermione tried to get up but her head was swimming and she fell back down to the floor again with a thud. He rolled his eyes at her and, after pulling on his dark leather gloves a little tighter, offered her a hand. She shot him a look but took it anyway, considering it was her best bet of getting off the floor any time soon, and steadied herself against the wall. It was't until she realised they were still holding each other’s hands for much longer than was necessary that she quickly let go.

"I must admit I was surprised to see you in here, but when I saw you having a little…trouble, I simply couldn't stand by." Lucius drawled, “I apologise for causing you to fall.” He added, ever the gentleman Hermione thought begrudgingly.

"Now, would you care to tell me what it is you are doing here?" He asked in the same way he had the previous day.

"I should be asking you the same thing, I don't expect the Ministry would be too pleased to hear about you being in a place like this." She retorted in annoyance.

"Not even a thank you? Tut, tut, Miss Granger, I thought you would have better manners. I did just save you did I not?" He asked, his eyebrow raised in the patronising way it so often was.

If she wasn't so irritated by him she might have commended him on his ability to sound so genuinely wounded by her words.

"Besides, although it is none of your business, you may be interested to know that the Ministry has ordered me to come here every month or so and see if there are any particularly dark items for sale." Lucius explained, obviously trying to avoid her jumping to negative conclusions whilst still appearing to have the upper hand, a talent she couldn't help but admire.

"I suppose someone like you being here wouldn't cause too much suspicion." She conceded as she reached round to feel the back of her head, which was still throbbing with pain, and was shocked to find it wet. She brought her hand back to see it covered in warm, sticky blood and looked up to see a flash of concern cross Lucius' face before it reverted back to its normal stern self.

"You're hurt.” Lucius stated. “I could heal the external wound for you, but if there is any internal damage I will need to take you to St Mungos." He said with words far more caring than Hermione thought he was capable of.

"No not there." She said a little too fast, her conversation with Harry about being able to handle herself ringing in her ears. If she was taken to St Mungos then Harry would surely hear about it. Then she'd not only look like a fool, but she'd also have to explain to him not only what had happened today but also at Hogwarts with Lucius, and for some reason, she didn't think that would be such a great idea.

"Suit yourself." He said as he moved round the back of her and cast the appropriate spells, sealing up the wound and removing the blood.

Suddenly they heard a groan coming from the man on the floor who must have been knocked out by his fall.

"Ah yes, I had forgotten about your little friend, what shall we do with him? Take him your beloved Ministry perhaps?" He sneered.

She really should take him to the Ministry, but that would mean letting Harry know what she'd been up to. Besides, she could always get a little more information out of him while she had him, it was the whole reason she'd come here after all.

"No, I need to interrogate him still." She said trying to sound as professional as possible but, somewhat unsurprisingly, Lucius saw straight through it.

"Now, I'm familiar enough with Ministry protocol to know that's not what you're supposed to be doing." He said in a condescending tone "But, yet again, your Slytherin nature has intrigued me, so, for now, I don't think I'll be reporting you, however, I'm interested to know where you intend on taking him?"

It was a good question, it wasn't as if they could stay here, and she certainly didn't want to take him to her home. She was thinking of all the possible places when Lucius provided her with an answer.

"We could take him to the Manor if you like, and we'd better be quick about it, you never know where, or to whom, that other man apparated to." He cautioned.

How could she have forgotten about the other man? Was she always this slow? Or did Malfoy just seem to have a boggling effect on her brain by filling it with irritated thoughts. She really didn't want to go with him, awful things had happened to her in that house, but right now she couldn't think of another option, not to mention that she would probably have trouble trying to apparate with the man by herself.

"Fine, let's go…thank you." She said out of courtesy, despite hating him he had helped her in more than one way already tonight.

"Ah, at last, a thank you." He said as his lips curled into a smug smile.

Lucius accioed her wand and passed it back to her before levitating the still bound man from the floor towards them. Placing one hand on the man, he glanced out the window into the street, seemingly checking for something, before offering her his hand. Suddenly, she thought about all the horrible places he could be taking her, but, for some strange reason, she didn't feel so threatened by him anymore. He'd saved her hadn't he, healed her, given her wand back, surely he wouldn't have done any of that if he'd wanted to cause her harm.

Hermione reached out accepting his outstretched hand and felt the familiar pull of apparation as the sight of the dark shop disappeared to be replaced by the interior of Malfoy Manor. The walls were a dark grey but the room wasn't gloomy as one might have expected. It was clearly a sitting room with a grand, black antique chesterfield sofa facing an intricate fire place that had two stone snakes running up the sides. Anywhere else, and it would have looked out of place, but everything in the room, from the colour of the floor boards, to the picture frames, suited it perfectly. It wasn't until the scarred man was ceremoniously dumped on the floor by Lucius that she brought her thoughts back to the matter in hand.

She unbound his mouth so that he could speak and as soon as it was free he spat at her feet. Before he could say whatever foul thing he had in mind, his words were knocked out of him as Lucius kicked him in the ribs. She should have objected to that, she'd never been a fan of physical violence, but the corner of her lips had already pulled up slightly into a satisfied smile as she caught Lucius’ gleaming grey eyes. Maybe she was just as much of a Slytherin as he seemed to think. Putting that somewhat disturbing thought to the back of her mind, she turned back to the man who this time kept his mouth tightly shut as he curled in on himself.

"Now, before you so rudely tried to stun me, you were talking about the missing dragon eggs, where are they?" Hermione asked him roughly. She had grown a lot tougher in her years since joining the Ministry as she all too often found herself having to question people like him.

"I don't know." He said stubbornly before glancing back to Lucius who was now standing menacingly in the corner of the room, as glass of fire whiskey in his hand. "I swear I don't, I was just part of the team who stole 'em, they were taken somewhere for safe keeping before they're auctioned off."

"I see. Tell me what you know about this auction."

He seemed reluctant to talk about it, but as she started to toy with her wand in her hand he gulped and started to talk. "Look, I don't want any trouble, I mostly just look after the animals we take, but this auction is a big deal, lots of things being sold, dark things, rare things, and stolen." He said as he fidgeted against the chains which were still tightly wrapped around him, fear evident in his eyes, "If someone finds out I told you anything about it they'll kill me for sure."

"I don't see how they'll be able to do that when you're in the Ministry cells." She stated simply.

He looked like he was going to argue but she heard footsteps start to move across the room towards them, and, glancing behind her again, the man started to talk. "I don't know where it is yet, but all the eggs are going to be sold there, it's where we'll get the best price, and there are going to be a lot of interested buyers, people like him." He said gesturing to Lucius with his head. "People you don't want to get in the way of."

Not like that's ever stopped me before she thought. "Right, the eggs, describe them to me." She continued swiftly, having never been one for wasting time.

"Well, it was dark most of the time, but from what I could tell there was an Ironbelly, couple of Hebrideans, three Welsh Greens, and one I'd never seen before."

"What did it look like?" She asked in curiosity, this mystery egg had been puzzling her and the more she knew about it, the better.

"Well, it was smooth, which is a bit odd for a dragon egg, but it was just as robust as they normally feel, and it was a bright yellow even in the dark. Never seen one myself before, but it's probably one of the rare foreign breeds, reckon we'll get the most for that one."

"Interesting" She said to herself before continuing her interrogation, "Right, now last question, how can I find out where the auction will be held?"

He'd seemingly given up trying to withhold his information at this point because he started to speak without hesitation "Firstly, you'd have to get hold of a flier, they tend to only be given to people the auctioneers want to be there, and it's charmed to only reveal the location to those who know the password."

"Do you know what it is?" Hermione asked perhaps a little too hopefully.

"No, I got no need to know it, I'll just go wherever the rest of the group tell me to go."

"Well, if you don't have anything else to say, I think we're done here." She said before obliviating him. She'd been using legilimency on him the whole time and knew he had been telling the truth so was sure he'd be of no more use to her.

"What are you doing?" Lucius asked, now standing right behind her.

"I'm changing his memories so that he'll think he tried to attack you for doing something awful to him in the past, so, naturally, you defended yourself, and now you're going to take him to the Ministry to be arrested."

"And what makes you think I'll do that?" He said as his voice returned to its natural tone of superiority.

"Well, I could always apparate him there myself and tell them that you kidnapped us both." She said somewhat half-heartedly, their little game of resisting everything the other said starting to grate on her nerves a bit.

He too seemed to share her sentiment, and begrudgingly agreed to do it on the condition that she wait for him to return. She complied, and, after stunning the restrained man, Lucius apparated out of the Manor with him.

Hermione could have left, probably should have. Although Lucius had helped her she didn't owe him anything, especially considering all the things he'd done to her in the past, but for some reason, she couldn't quite bring herself to go.

Instead, she started to walk around the room looking at the ornaments and pictures, one in particular catching her eye. At first she thought it was of an eighteen year old Draco with his father, before realising that it was not Lucius Malfoy standing behind him, but Abraxas, Lucius' father. He did look strikingly similar to Draco at first glance, but once she looked more closely she noticed that they weren't very similar at all.

The young Lucius was taller, his hair longer, and his face more defined, but it was his eyes which really caught her. The rest of his expression was so controlled, as it had been today and on all the other occasions she had encountered him. His eyes however, looked almost lifeless and full of rage and pain all at the same time, it was mesmerising, and she suddenly found herself feeling sorry for him. From what she had read about Abraxas, he was something of a political and business tycoon, known for his intellect, but also for his temper and affiliations during the first war. It was rumoured that he helped finance Voldemort the first time around and Hermione wondered whether he had offered up his son to the Dark Lord too.

She was still looking at the picture when Lucius popped back into the room looking to be in a considerably worse mood than before.

"What happened?" She asked as she set the picture back down.

"They almost hexed me when I walked in there with him, assuming I'd done something wrong yet again. As if I'd attack someone and bring them to the Ministry, what do they think I am, an idiot?" He asked angrily, clearly furious at the aurors stupidity. "They didn't believe me until they asked the man what had happened and checked my wand to see what spells I'd cast." He fumed as he strode over to his bottle of fire whiskey, pouring himself another drink and downing it in one. He poured another and went to sit down on the sofa, gesturing for her to join him.

"I will admit that many of the aurors can be pretty rash and incompetent, sometimes I wonder how they get past all the entrance tests in the first place." She said exasperatedly as she sat down.

"Mmm." He agreed as he took another swig of his drink, clearly pleased that she shared his sentiment.

"What were you checking?" Hermione suddenly asked after a few minutes of strangely comfortable silence. She had wondered why at the time and was curious as to what he had been doing. "Back in the shop I mean, before we apparated you were looking out the window." She added, seeing the confusion on his face.

"You don't think the Ministry would ask me to do that job without some sort of ulterior motive do you?" He asked as he took another sip and sighed. "I knew as soon as they asked me to inspect that place that it was just another way for them to try and catch me out, sending me there and hoping I'd buy some dark artefact no doubt. They had someone follow me for the first year or so, but after I did nothing wrong they stopped." He explained, sounding tired.

Hermione knew the Ministry kept track of people, and rightly so, but trying to set them up seemed a bit excessive, but then again, didn't he deserve it? Seeing him now, looking so dejected, part of her couldn’t help but think that he didn’t.

"Why did you save me today?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"You never know when they might start following me again, wouldn't have looked very good if I'd just stood by and watched the golden girl get hexed now would it." He chuckled as he took another sip, his eye catching the picture she had been looking at before.

Suddenly his expression changed and his brow creased as his sat up a little straighter, repositioning the picture "It's not like I really care if something bad were to happen to someone like you." He said venomously as he looked her up and down, disdain in his eyes.

"Well, if you're going to be a prejudiced bastard then I see no reason to stay." Hermione all but shouted as she abruptly stood up and withdrew her wand. She saw him flinch slightly at her words, but before he could say anything in his defence she carried on "Thank you for your aid today Mr Malfoy, but I will not be staying here with your outdated views any longer, good bye."

And with that she apparated away, but, as she was leaving, saw him pick up the picture of his father and himself, throwing it across the room.


	7. Acceptance

The picture shattered on the floor as the sound of Hermione disapparating away echoed through the now empty room. Lucius sat there for what felt like hours breathing deeply, staring at the pieces which glimmered in the light from the fire as he tried to fight the feelings and thoughts that were aching to be acknowledged.

There was a small crackling from the fire and a rogue ember spat from the flames, landing on the corner of the now unprotected picture. A small line of smoke could be seen forming and it was almost as if the flames were taunting him – are you going to save the picture? Do you really care what happens to it, or are you going to let it burn?

Before he could make the decision a loud crack was heard, his head house elf Lika appearing in the room and quickly extinguishing the flames. Normally he would have snapped at her for disturbing him, but, for some reason, found himself imagining what Hermione might say. ' _She's just doing her job, for all she knew you weren't in here and the house was going to go up in flames, you should thank her.'_  He had a sudden urge to do the exact opposite to spite the imagined version of the woman who had overtaken his mind, but he was cut short when Lika handed him the picture and left, taking the broken frame with her.

Half of it had been burnt, his father's face now no more than a black smudge, and all that was left was a younger version of himself, staring back at him with an expression he was sure he still wore now. Lucius remembered the day this picture was taken and, thinking back to it, couldn't see why he had ever kept it.

He had been seventeen at the time, although he had always looked old for his age, and that day had been one which had changed his life forever. It was one year into the first war and, although things in the wizarding world were crumbling, the Malfoys continued life as usual, and that included yearly family portraits. That fateful morning however, a visitor had come to the house and talked with his father for quite some time. Lucius hadn't any idea who it was, but was curious when his mother told him he was required in the study with his father, a strangely sad look in her eyes.

At first he had been excited as he proudly strode towards the room, stopping just outside the doors as he straightened his robes. He had been taught that appearances really were everything in the wizarding world and, that a pureblood like himself should always be presentable, especially when in company. His initial happiness at being summoned by his father had been quickly diminished however when he opened the doors and saw who sat across from him, a man he hoped he would never have to meet, snake like eyes searing into him across the dimly lit room.

_"Ah Abraxas, he looks so like you did in your youth, I assume he is as talented." A velvet voice had said._

_"Of course, my Lord, he has excelled in all forms of magic and is a particularly talented dueller." His father bragged as if he were describing a prize animal instead of his only son._

_"Yes, yes excellent, I have heard great things about you Lucius, come here boy." The man asked in a tone which only those looking for it would have heard as commanding._

Although Lucius had been reluctant, his logic won over his instinct, and he bravely walked forward with his head held high, knowing that, in truth, he had no choice in what was about to happen. Voldemort had been polite and amenable, probably for the benefit of his father who was a big funder of his cause, but Lucius was a sharp boy and saw straight through it, could feel the evil that seeped from the man before him. They had talked for an hour or so as he nodded and agreed, saying everything he knew he was supposed to say, and by the end of the day he had the dark mark branded into his left arm.

It was an honour his father had said, that he should be proud that he had been chosen for such a prestigious position, but all Lucius could think about was how he'd just been set on a path he'd never wanted to be on. As they'd stood for their portrait that evening to commemorate what Abraxas had called a great and joyful day, Lucius just stared into the camera attempting to void himself of feeling, trying to stop the tears he knew were building in his eyes.

He looked down at the picture in his hands and thought how, if only he had known then what he knew now, if he'd said no, then maybe things wouldn't be the way they were today. Maybe he'd still have a wife. Maybe his son would visit him more than once a month and not have a look of disgust poorly hidden behind his eyes. Maybe he wouldn't have this voice in his head telling him that mudbloods, " _Muggle-borns Lucius_ " Hermione's voice chimed through his thoughts, were below him, and maybe he'd be able to say something nice to Hermione without feeling guilty.

He knew it was wrong, that they were all equal, but for so many years he had been conditioned to believe that was the truth. He'd done awful things and always told himself that it was justified because he was a pureblood and he was superior, that it was all for some sort of greater good, that he wasn't weak for not being able to say no.

Deep down he knew that he had had a choice, that he could have run and rebelled against what he knew to be a lie, even though he would probably have been killed. At least then he wouldn't feel like he did every single day, as he had for the last ten years.

He wouldn't feel like a coward.

Hermione apparated into her bedroom and collapsed on her bed with a groan. How could someone aggravate her so much but make her want to go right back and see him again as soon as she was gone. Lucius was starting to relax around her, open up,  _or maybe it was just so that he could use you,_  the pessimistic part of her brain thought.

When he saw the picture of his father it was as though his default position, his need to feel superior, was ripped back to the surface. She hated him for all the things he had done, but for some reason it was as though her heart started to ache a little now that she wasn't with him. She had so many more questions she wanted to ask him, wanted to just talk with him on the same intellectual level, but knew she shouldn't, couldn't, what would everyone she knew think of her if she told them she was actually happy she had run into him?

She had lain in bed that night being unable to think of anything other than him, everything he had done for her these last few days. Her head didn't hurt at all and she had to admit that she was impressed with his healing skills, not doubting that he could have fixed anything worse if he had wanted to. It made her sad to think of all the times he probably had to heal himself and many other death eaters during the war, all the awful things he must have seen…and done.

Hermione didn't like to use it often, but knew that tonight she would have no chance of sleeping without it, so took a dreamless sleep potion and focused on suppressing her memories before slowly falling into darkness.

The next week was slow and difficult. She had made significant progress on all of her other cases and now the only files left on her desk were for Charlie Weasley and Andromeda. She had been avoiding them, trying to fill her mind with anything and everything other than the things that would remind her of Lucius. One night she had even gone so far as to request his case files under the pretence of needing them for a case, just so that she could remind herself why she was supposed to hate him. That however, hadn't really worked, because in everything she read she could see the underlying restraint and reluctance in his actions, and, although she couldn't deny the terrible things he had done, she wanted to believe that he didn't have a choice. Even though in reality she knew that everybody had a choice…

She got into work on Thursday to find a letter on her desk from Harry, telling her to come and see him. Curious, she made her way to the auror department and was about to turn onto Harry's corridor when she saw the all too familiar dishevelled, ginger figure of Ronald Weasley leaving his office. Panicking, she kept walking, and just as she thought he hadn't seen her cringed as she heard him call after her.

"'Mione, is that you?"

She took a deep breath and turned back to go and talk to him. It had been months since she had last seen him and really didn't need for him to be spiteful or critical of her today. So, it came as a great surprise, when he embraced her in a hug, pinning her arms to her sides. Stunned she could only get out a feeble hello.

"What are you doing here?" Ron asked cheerily.

"Oh, um, I came to see Harry."

"But his office is down here." He questioned, his brows furrowed in confusion, a seemingly natural expression for him.

"Oh is it? I'm always getting lost round here, this department's far too big isn't it." She lied, and he should have known she was, but, as always, he underestimated her.

"Anyway, how are you 'Mione? I've-we've all missed you."

"I'm good Ron, but right now I'm in a bit of a rush, lots of work to do." She said, not realising until it was out her mouth that it was saying things like that which had broken them up in the first place, well, that and him cheating on her of course.

"Oh right." He said with a disgruntled look on his face and she couldn't help but smile a little that she might have hurt his feelings,  _" I wonder if your dear friends know what you're really like?"_ Lucius' voice rang in her head, and this time, she didn't feel so offended by his words.

"Well, you should come over soon, we're having a Christmas party in a couple of weeks and I'm sure everyone would love to see you." He said smiling, a bit of a pleading edge to his voice.

"I'm sure." She said dubiously but decided it might be good to at least try to mend some bridges. "Well, let me know when it is and I'll come if I'm free."

A smile lit up on his face and she felt a brief flicker of guilt at her earlier jab, but that was quickly replaced with annoyance when he again gave her an unwarranted hug as he said goodbye.

Trying not to think on the encounter too much she made her way down the corridor and knocked perhaps a little too forcefully on Harry's door.

"Oh, hey Hermione, you just missed Ron." Harry said smiling.

"What a shame." She replied shortly.

"You know, he really is sorry for what happened Hermione, I know he wants to make it up to you."

"Well he took a bloody long time to realise he should be apologetic didn't he." She snapped. "Sorry Harry, I don't mean to take it out on you, I know he's your best friend and this whole ordeal has been difficult for you, but can we just not talk about it?"

"Sure." He agreed, and she smiled to think about what a good friend he was. "Right, well I've been working on the stuff you gave me and I've got some answers, although unfortunately, you might not find them all that helpful."

He told her about Slughorn, and, how once they'd managed to locate him, someone had gone to see him. Despite questioning him and expressing their concern he'd insisted he was just getting too old for the job and couldn't take the hours any more. Harry said that he was almost as hard to find as he was during the second war, always moving from place to place with extensive wards in place. She was curious about that, it seemed like odd behaviour for someone who wasn't running from something.

The results from the aurors efforts in trying to open the chest weren't good either, and the witch who'd tried to unlock it had been very frustrated that she wasn't able to get inside. The auror said it was probably a spell which had an unknown condition attached to it, similar to the magic around Voldemort's locket horcrux, which required a payment for entry, but couldn't be sure what it was.

Hermione wanted to ask Harry more about the auction, but that would have meant disclosing where she'd found out you needed a password to find out the location. She was good at lying, but her best friend would probably see through it if she did, and the truth wasn't a good idea either. Any mention of Lucius would most likely cause Harry to assume the worst and go round to arrest him for manipulating Hermione's memory or whatever implausible,  _or not so implausible_ , reasons he could come up with.

She thanked him for his help and made her way to the Ministry library in order to look up conditional protective spells. She poured through many books until nightfall and even took some home, but, after trying all the spells she could and seeing no more that looked plausible, decided her best bet would be to go and look through the Hogwarts library.

So, on Friday afternoon, after owling McGonagall to check it was alright to come, she once more found herself walking up to the gates of Hogwarts where the same young auror was again at the gate. He greeted her cheerily and let her pass without performing the appropriate checks, something Hermione reprimanded him for. Although there had not been any attempts to break into Hogwarts since the war, you could never be too careful.

As she made her way to the library she caught herself looking around everywhere, double-taking every time a blonde student or tall figure walked past, and realised that she was looking for him, for Lucius, hoping that she would bump into him. Once she was settled in the restricted section, a pile of books in front of her, she realised how disappointed she was that she hadn't seen him, and tried not to think too hard about why.

Hermione was there for several hours and it had started to get dark by the time she realised that most of the other students had left the library. She was tempted to leave too but it was the sound of the doors opening that changed her mind, hearing the familiar tapping of a cane as its owner started to walk towards where she sat, any desire she had to leave quickly diminishing.

Lucius had been unable to stop thinking about Hermione all week and it infuriated him. How had this young witch infatuated his mind in a mere two days.

He did all he could to distract himself, managing his estate, reading the most challenging books he possessed, and even spending extra time at Hogwarts. All his efforts however had failed, and he decided that he had to see her again, just one more time. He had thought of everything to try and organise seeing her again, even going so far as to consider creating a case for her to take on, but all his ideas seemed futile or obvious.

After yet another day of being constantly distracted by thoughts of her, he made his way to the school library to see if there were any interesting books that he did not possess in his own. Lucius liked to come in the evening, when he knew it would be free of all the pesky students, most of whom would either annoy him with their loud babbling or whisper about him when they thought he couldn't hear. He was pleased to see that the students were still scared of him though, and that was pretty much the only perk of his forced role so far.

He entered the restricted section where the more intriguing books could be found and was surprised to see a lamp glowing in the far corner. He was curious, students weren’t typically here so late, slowly making his way towards the light and, upon rounding the corner, stopped in his tracks. There she was, mere feet away, looking up at him past her books and, to his shock, she smiled.

He found himself smiling back and, trying not to walk too quickly, strode over to where she was sitting.

"Miss Granger." He greeted as warmly as he could.

"Mr Malfoy." She nodded, gesturing at the seat opposite her. It was a sign of welcome and he wasn't about to turn it down.

"Thank you." He said as he took the chair. They sat in silence for a minute as she returned to reading the last pages of her book before sighing and slamming it shut.

"Still no luck on unlocking the chest I presume."

"No. I've read everything on it both here and at the Ministry and nothing is working." Hermione said exasperatedly.

He liked how she didn't have to ask how he knew what she was doing, she was smart enough to know he'd read all the covers of the many books sprawled about the desk.

"Perhaps you would like to come and take a look through the library at the Manor? It has many books that you won't find anywhere else." Lucius offered, hoping that she would be tempted to accept his invitation. He was convinced that if he could just spend a little time with her that he would be able to get her out of his head.

"That would be wonderful." Hermione smiled, her eyes were alive with excitement but soon covered by a slight frown. "Although, if you're going to speak to me like last time, I think I will have to decline your offer." She said seriously, her expression becoming more composed.

"No." he said a bit too fast, reaching across to her hand, only to quickly retract it when she looked a little shocked. "I promise you that I won't speak to you in such a way again." He vowed. His pride wouldn't let him apologise for his actions, but he thought, hoped, that would suffice.

She seemed to mull it over for a while but finally said the words he had been waiting to hear.

"Alright, yes, that would be very helpful, thank you. When shall I come?"

"I can take you there now if you would like?" Lucius offered, worried that she may change her mind if he waited. "It would probably be most convenient considering no one other than myself and Draco can apparate to the Manor." He added, trying to convince her.

"I suppose that would be best, let me just put my books back and then I'll be ready to go." She agreed swiftly, much to his surprise. He had been expecting a little more reluctance from her. Perhaps her motives were similar to his own, and what an interesting thought that was, one which made a flicker of excitement build inside his chest.

Relief flooded over him at her acceptance, and, after helping her return the books to their appropriate places, he offered her his hand, which this time she took without hesitation.

Lucius apparated them straight to the library and was pleased to see that she seemed in awe of the room, and, that she had yet to let go of his hand, liking the feel of its warmth in his own.

"This is incredible Lucius, I don't think I've ever seen so many books." Hermione said as she made her way over to the nearest shelf. "Not to mention such rare ones, Merlin, I can't believe you've got this!" She exclaimed, picking up a book Lucius knew most thought was long gone from the wizarding world.

"Well feel free to read any you like, although, the ones you're probably interested in are in that shelf." He pointed. "But first, would you like anything to eat? It is late after all." He asked, his gentlemanly nature not deserting him.

"Yes, thank you, something small would be lovely." She said sweetly, a small smile in the corner of her lips.

With that, he called for Lika who appeared immediately. He was sure to be even more polite than normal to the elf when asking her to bring Hermione some sandwiches and tea, all the while watching her expression out of the corner of his eye, pleased to see that she looked surprised at his behaviour towards his favourite elf.

Lucius stayed with Hermione as she looked through his books, reading several himself as the night wore on. Despite the fact that they weren't saying anything to each other he was glad that she was here, and, that she had seemingly forgiven him for his discretion at their last meeting. It wasn't until he heard the book fall from her lap that he noticed she had fallen asleep.

Lucius knew he should wake her, but found himself unable to. Her face looked so peaceful as she slept, her wild curls falling around it, and he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Deciding he could not bring himself to cause her to leave, he summoned a blanket and draped it over her, carefully removing her shoes. He had a strange urge to kiss her forehead, but thought better of it, before walking to the door in order to return to his room.

When he reached for the handle he found himself looking back at her sleeping contently one last time, and, without realising it, he smiled, the ache he had been feeling in his chest for the last week a little smaller knowing that she was here.


	8. Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter out - lots of deadlines and revision at the moment so I struggled a bit to get it done. Enjoy!

Hermione awoke to the sound of a small crack and the slight clinking of china, startled by the small house elf across the room setting out some tea. Momentarily she had forgotten where she was, but the memory of the previous night's events soon came back to her.

As she stretched and looked around she saw that the library of Malfoy Manor was even more impressive than she had realised, its full glory could truly be appreciated in the daylight. The room, which had to be the size of about two tennis courts, was covered in a seemingly continuous shelf which only parted to allow space for the grand fireplace and colossal windows that adorned it. The shelves were full right up to the ceiling, which in itself was easily five times the height of a normal room, and Hermione had seen from her short look that almost all of the books were rare or valuable.

"Good morning Miss." The house elf greeted her cheerily. Hermione hadn't picked up on it the night before but she saw now that, unlike the elves she'd seen before, this one was wearing clothes, very fine clothes at that, and spoke perfect English with what sounded like a slight Swedish accent.

"Good morning." Hermione replied as she stifled a yawn. "What time is it?"

"It is ten o clock Miss, Master has asked that I bring you some tea and wake you if you weren't up by now."

"Oh, well thank you, um, sorry, I'm afraid I don't know your name." Hermione apologised.

"I am Lika, the head elf here at the Manor."

"Ah, well then thank you Lika."

"Does miss require anything else?" Lika enquired.

Come to think of it she was in need of quite a few answers, but, she thought she'd settle on asking the most important.

"Yes, would you be able to tell me where Mr Malfoy is?"

"Master said he must leave to complete an important task but said that he would be back by 12, he requests that you stay until his return and that I offer you anything you may require." She said as if reciting Lucius' exact words.

Hermione wondered where he had gone, and in fact, why he would leave her mostly unsupervised in his home, but, she supposed she could find out later, it was in her nature to find things out after all.

"Oh right, well I guess I'll have to wait then, thank you for the tea." Hermione smiled.

Lika nodded in thanks and then with a snap of her fingers was gone. Hermione swung her legs down to the floor and it was then that she realised that she wasn't wearing shoes. She didn't remember taking them off, and the only logical conclusion was that Lucius had, but that shouldn't be a logical answer should it? He was a monster who hated her, why should he care if she was comfortable or not?

Hermione couldn't believe she'd come here last night, but, she remembered the feeling she had when he'd come across her last night, it was like everything inside her had lit up and she hadn't been able to stop the smile that came to her face. Even though they had barely talked she had been so content just being with him, thinking back on it now it seemed no surprise that she had felt relaxed enough to fall asleep. Trying not to think about why that was, she picked up her tea and made her way over to the window.

A heavy frost had fallen over the garden making it look exquisite. There was a long pond running through a pristine lawn, a fountain in the centre. In the middle of the fountain was a stature of a woman, a snake coiled around her naked body poured water into the pool below. It struck Hermione as looking deadly and beautiful at the same time.

Transfixed by the garden, she continued to sip her tea, looking out at the hedgerows and flowers that seem to spread as far as she could see until she felt the all too familiar call of nature and thought aloud. "I wonder where Lika's gone?"

Within seconds of her asking, Lika appeared. "Is there something I can help you with Miss?" She enquired.

It took a moment for Hermione to say anything as she was so astounded that the elf had responded so quickly. "Oh yes, would you be able to show me where the bathroom is?"

"Of course, follow me."

Lika lead her though the Manor, passing many paintings who gave her curious looks as she walked past, until opening the door to the largest bathroom Hermione had ever seen. The room was made of what looked like a dark grey marble and, when she looked closely, it seemed to be ingrained with veins of emerald green _. Or Slytherin green,_ she thought to herself as she noticed yet more snakes making an appearance, this time wound round the large columns which surrounded the enticing looking bath in the centre of the room.

As if she had read her mind, Lika handed Hermione a fluffy white towel and a toothbrush before telling her to call if she needed anything, and with that she was gone again. Hermione filled the bath, which appeared to be enchanted, as once it was full a layer of bubbles appeared which seemingly could not be popped.

As she waited for it to cool a little she noticed the large picture on the wall, surrounded by an intricate black frame. It showed a moving version of the statue she had seen in the garden, the scene very different to what Hermione would have imagined. Instead of shying away from the monstrous white snake, the woman was welcoming, smiling, as it tightly wrapped itself around her body, arching her neck as it crept over her shoulder.

Hermione thought it was curious, but, as she watched the painting play out several times she saw that, although the snake looked ominous, it was actually very gentle towards the woman, seeming to pose no threat, not to mention conveniently protecting her modesty.

Hermione lowered herself into the water and sighed as the warmth spread through her. It was big enough to fit at least seven people and deep enough to swim in, but Hermione was content to just lean against the edge and relax as she mulled over the night again.

She could deny it no longer that she liked being with Lucius, and that every time he touched her, or even looked at her, she felt a spark of excitement. She knew it wasn't how she should feel, but that was how it was, and as she closed her eyes it was his face she saw and voice she heard.

Without realising it ,her hand made its way downwards, and she began to softly stroke her sex. She was surprised to find herself wet and started to rub her clit in a slow but hard, even rhythm as the thought of Lucius filled her head. After a couple of minutes she slipped two fingers inside herself causing her to gasp at the welcome intrusion, gently starting to move them. She could feel that she was close to the edge as she moved her fingers deeper and faster and, just as she could feel her walls begin to flutter around them, there was a brisk knock on the door.

* * *

"Come in. "A shaky voice replied a couple of moments later.

"Good morning Miss Granger, I have some good news for you." Lucius said as he closed the door behind him, effortlessly covering his initial shock at walking in to find her in the bath. He was a gentleman after all, and would try to act as such.

"Sorry I thought you were Lika." Hermione replied, as she blushed slightly and sunk a little lower into the water. Lucky for her the bubbles were charmed and completely covered her body.

"I can come back later?" He asked tentatively.

"No, no, it's fine. What's the news?"

He could tell she wanted to protect her modesty, but it said a great deal about the shift in their relationship that she would let him stay. She was starting to _trust_ him.

"I was running some errands in town this morning when I overheard a conversation between two, somewhat unsavoury characters, only to find that they were discussing the very auction you are so interested in."

"And?!" She exclaimed excitedly, sitting up ever so slightly and revealing the top of her breasts.

Lucius quickly wrenched his gaze back to her face hoping that she hadn't noticed his indiscretion or the lust which he was sure had momentarily been swimming in his eyes.

"They weren't particularly good at keeping their voices down and, as such, I now know the password to uncover the location and date." He said with a triumphant edge to his voice. She didn't need to know that the whole reason he had gone out this morning was to find it for her and, that he'd had to go to some pretty far lengths to discover what he needed to know. For some reason, he wanted to make her happy.

"Oh Lucius, that's great news! Thank you so much! We must try it straight away." She said and, in her haste to try the password, she practically leaped out of the bath, seemingly forgetting Lucius' presence. As she locked eyes with him she quickly realised her error and immediately covered herself with her arms, turning her back to him.

"Merlin, sorry I forgot-" She started to apologise but she cut off when suddenly Lucius walked up behind her and wrapped a towel around her. He smiled to himself as he felt her shudder slightly when he placed his hand on her shoulder, arching into his touch almost in sync with the painting on the wall. He leaned down close next to her ear and said in a husky voice. "It is quite alright _Hermione_ , I do not mind one bit."

And with that, he left the room smiling to himself, it felt so good to to call her by her first name. He knew she was stunning, he'd spent enough time with her this last week to see that, but if the tightness he was feeling in his boxers was anything to go by, he'd clearly discovered that his feelings towards her had extended beyond that of friendship.

* * *

Once she had recovered from her embarrassment, and not to mention her arousal, she put on some fresh robes Lika had left for her and gone to find Lucius in the library. They had tried the password 'Mandrake' with great success but, unfortunately for them, found out that the auction was to be held that evening.

Hermione had come up with several plans within minutes but Lucius had poked holes in all of them, offering up one of his own. It turned out that the password wasn't the only thing he had found whilst he was running 'errands'.

He said that he had been doing his inspection of Borgin and Burke, as his last trip had been somewhat disrupted, and whilst there had come across a small vial of polyjuice. He had seemed reluctant to give it to her, even though it would mean he didn't owe her anything anymore, and suggested that a fresh batch would be more effective for the other case. His idea was that she would polyjuice herself into someone and join him, whose presence would go unquestioned at the auction, and they would confront the sellers of the eggs together, perhaps even buy them.

Hermione agreed to use the potion now instead of for Andromeda's case, this was more urgent after all, and strangely she didn't really like the idea of not having a reason to see Lucius any more.

Hermione insisted that she wouldn't want to sully anyone's reputation by using any old wizard's identity. However, she didn't want to use one from a less reputable source in fear that someone might try and pick a fight with her, or in fact be there themselves. Coming to a compromise, they decided to use one of Narcissa's.

Although they were divorced, it wouldn't raise any suspicion if Lucius was seen with her again, and it would be easy enough for them to get a hold of one. It had taken a little time to persuade Lucius, who had been reluctant at first, his split from Narcissa had been fairly easy as both of them decided that they both had love for Draco but no longer for each other, but he had worried about potentially dirtying her name once more.

Hermione knew she should tell Harry about the auction, there were so many people that could be arrested and dark items to be confiscated, but she wanted to do some investigation of her own without all the aurors around. She tried to deny it, but she still didn't want Harry to see her with Lucius, especially because he would probably try to arrest him and Hermione couldn't let that happen. She decided she would tell him about it, but, that it started an hour later than it did, that would give her enough time to investigate and still let the aurors do their job.

They retrieved the hair from one of Narcissa's old brushes and, after Hermione had owled Harry with the details, they went over their plan and made arrangements until the time came for them to leave. Hermione still used her little beaded bag and was glad she had brought it with her; she always liked to have it when she did things like this. She made sure before they left that she had some healing potions and some Peruvian instant darkness powder with her just in case she lost her wand again and needed to escape. Despite Lucius being with her, she didn't want a repeat of what had happened last week.

All day Hermione had been trying not to think about what had happened between them earlier in the bathroom and how much, for some reason, she wished it had gone further. They had sat together on the sofa as they had discussed what they would do, and it was as if sparks flew through her every time his leg so much as brushed her own, never quite being able to bring herself to move hers away.

She knew she shouldn't be feeling this way but there was no doubt that she was. She told herself that it was purely lust, he was exceedingly attractive, and his whole demeanour was magnetic. It didn't help that every time he looked at her she could see his eyes darken and the corner of his mouth turn up in a smug smile.

Once the clock struck seven, Hermione changed into some of Narcissa's robes and took the potion, which tasted surprisingly nice for polyjuice, a little like sherbet lemons. Hermione looked at herself in a mirror and was shocked to see how elegant she looked, Narcissa's blonde hair and impressive bone structure making her a beauty to behold.

"Hm, you know what's strange." Lucius chuckled as he looked at her. "I never really liked blonde women."

After rolling her eyes at him she offered out her hand and apparated them just outside the auctions location. It was being held in an old abandoned estate up in Scotland, and the building was so big and bright that Hermione could only assume that they had put anti-muggle and concealment charms up even though they were in the middle of nowhere.

They started to walk up to the entrance together, towards where some witches were checking fliers, when Lucius put his arm around her waist pulling her tightly towards him.

Leaning down to her ear again he said. "Wouldn't want them to suspect you weren't really my ex-wife now would we." His breath tickling her neck as his thumb lazily stroked her waist, causing her breath to catch.

She didn't know what came over her, but before she knew what she was doing, she turned to face him, and ,taking his chin between her fingers, tilted his head down to her own and kissed him lightly, lingering perhaps a little too long on his lips.

"No, we couldn't have that could we." She smirked, as she led a now slightly stunned Lucius up towards the house.


	9. Developments

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again sorry for the wait. Lot's of university deadlines and admittedly a slight lack of motivation but hopefully this chapter will make up for it. Next one should be out soon since I can't wait to write it.

For a moment Lucius was, for once in his life, lost for words. Hermione had just kissed him, and even though she had Narcissa's face, he could tell it was her, the way she stayed for longer than was necessary, how she smiled against his lips.

He should feel wrong shouldn't he? It went against every principle he had been brought up to hold, but he supposed that none of that mattered to him anymore, all he wanted now was her. It had started to become obvious to him throughout the day that it wasn't just lust that he felt for her. She was a smart, courageous and beautiful witch who seemed to understand him, forced him to be a better person, intrigued and excited him, and it made him smile to himself that clearly his feelings were, at least to an extent, reciprocated.

The witches at the gates were about to ask them for their fliers as proof of invitation but, upon seeing Lucius with who they thought to be Narcissa, they let them pass without question. It still satisfied him when people reacted that way to him, the fear and respect they had for him never failed to make him happy. He couldn't help but wonder how it would affect both his and Hermione's life if they were to ever actually be seen together, if people would react to them the same way they did now, with respect for each of them but for entirely different reasons. Fear of him and awe of her.

He was broken from his thoughts when someone tapped him on the shoulder, turning to see Antonin Dolohov standing in front of them.

* * *

The man Hermione saw had a familiar face but at first she couldn't quite place it. He had a thick beard and wore a dark heavy hood, most suspicious, her thoughts confirmed as Lucius grip around her waist tightened, pulling her protectively closer. It was then that she realised that the man before her was an old death eater – Antonin Dolohov.

"Lucius, Narcissa, how long has it been? I must say that I didn't expect to see you here." He said in a surprisingly civil voice.

"Dolohov." Lucius greeted with a nod "I'm happy to see you have still managed to elude capture." He said smiling courteously, as if it were the most normal thing to say. "I don't suppose you're here for the artwork like us are you?" Lucius joked, his ability to sound so unsurprised by the man's presence and work so quickly to explain their purpose at the auction impressing Hermione.

"Ha, of course not, you know that's never been my thing. I'm here picking up something…special." He said, although stopping himself before he could disclose more than that, seemingly remembering that Lucius was still under the Ministries thumb. "I thought you two had split up, how come you're here together?" He questioned casually, but Hermione could tell there was an underlying tone of suspicion to what he said. As much as she'd like to believe Dolohov was thick, she supposed one didn't make his way to the top of Voldemort's ranks without a little intelligence, realising she would have to play her part well to avoid causing any trouble.

"Well, with Christmas coming up, we wanted to get Draco something together, and, considering I've always had a better eye for these sorts of things than Lucius, we thought it best that we both came along." Hermione said in a tone she hoped matched the confidence of Lucius', counting on Dolohov not know that what she had just said about Lucius' abilities was most likely a lie.

"Ha! I'm not surprised." Dolohov barked with a laugh, causing Hermione to smile with relief that her words had been believed. "No wonder I heard you tried so hard to find out where this was happening Lucius, wouldn't want to lose favour with Draco to Narcissa now, would you."

"Of course not." Lucius said smoothly although he had stiffened at Dolohov's words. "As pleasant as it is to see you again Antonin, we must go and take a look around, we wouldn't want to miss out on anything good." He said in his most polite tone, subtly laced with disdain, similar to that he used when talking to the politicians at the Ministry.

"Ah yes, it's quite busy today isn't it, don't let me keep you…hopefully we will see each other again soon Lucius." He replied politely, clearly not sharp enough to pick up on Lucius' abrupt dismissal of him. "A pleasure to see you as always Narcissa." He added as he kissed her knuckles, Lucius clenching his hand into a fist as he did. "Lucius." He nodded with a sly smile, and with that he was gone, Hermione letting out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding.

"You played that well." Lucius whispered in her ear as he led her away. "I had not anticipated that we would see anyone who would actually come and talk to us."

"Oh, so you don't keep up with anyone from your old crowd since the war?" She questioned carefully, her interest peaked as she tried to uncover more about what Lucius was really like these days. She'd seen glimpses, but he kept his feelings and thoughts well protected, so even with her investigative skills it was hard to tell.

"No. If it wasn't obvious, I have tried to move away from that part of my life, not to mention that with the Ministry breathing down my neck it would be practically impossible even if I wanted to. I try to only interact with people like…that, only when it is completely necessary." He said with slight annoyance.

"You mean like when you want to find out something?" Hermione said in a knowing tone, Dolohov's remark about Lucius trying to find the auctions location not going unnoticed. She couldn't quite believe it when he said it, but by the sounds of it, Lucius had gone out of his way to find this information for her. She smiled to think at how typical it was of him to be too proud to admit that he'd actually done something nice for her, let alone put any effort into it.

"Yes, well, I was curious, so I may have…persuaded someone into enlightening." He said stiffly, his discomfort at her discovering what he'd done visible only in the slight creases around his eyes as he tried not to frown.

Giggling slightly at how serious he looked when he tried to hide how he was feeling, Hermione leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek "Thank you Lucius." She said against his ear, revelling in the way she was able to make a slight colour come to his face. She decided that she really liked being in Narcissa's form because it allowed her to do what she wanted to Lucius without feeling guilty because, as far as anyone else could see, today she was his wife (well ex-wife, but still).

"Now let's go find those eggs." She said, sounding determined as they began to make their way further into the house, not missing the smug smile that was now showing in the corner of Lucius' lips.

They wandered through the various large rooms filled with a multitude of things for sale, trying to find what they were here for. There seemed to be all sorts here ranging from books on dark magic to creatures Hermione hadn't even encountered during her old job, and she was slightly disappointed that she didn't have time to look at everything, wondering why they didn't make such events legal.

Hermione probably would have missed the wizard levitating a dragon egg right past her head if it wasn't for Lucius vigilantly scanning the room by her side. The wizard disappeared into a back room being used for the items being sold in the main auction so they followed him in quickly, wands at the ready.

The eggs were partially blocked by people and, although she couldn't count them all, Hermione could definitely see an Ironbelly and Hebridean egg, so figured this had to be the ones stolen from Charlie, you didn't find Ironbellys just anywhere after all.

"My, my, what exquisite eggs you have here." Lucius drawled as he approached the small group of wizards surrounding the eggs, his voice dripping with a tone only those with the finest taste would possess.

The group turned around with expressions varying from grumpy and bored, to suspicious and wary, on their faces, but all were quickly replaced with business like smiles once they saw who stood before them.

A somewhat short witch pushed her way past the group of wizards, her long, dark red hair swaying behind her as she approached them. "Mr Malfoy, Ms Black, what an honour it is to meet you both." She greeted with a seductive smile. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"

"We couldn't help but see you bringing one of these beautiful eggs back here and we simply had to come and see them for ourselves." Lucius replied in his most flattering voice. "I'm presuming you're selling them off in the auction today?"

"You presume correctly Mr Malfoy, we always get better prices when there's bidding." She said as she looked him up and down, not hiding her blatant admiration of his form, and Hermione suddenly found herself feeling a spark of jealousy towards the witch who she now noticed was actually rather attractive.

"Although, if you're interested in buying one now I'm sure we could come to an arrangement, we've already got one on hold for someone else, so if you're willing to pay…" She said in a suggestive tone as she stepped closer and placed her hand on Lucius' arm.

"You've already sold one?" Hermione asked in her own voice, momentarily forgetting her charade in her haste, but fortunately the witch had been so absorbed in Lucius she seemed to barely register her presence, let alone the tone of her voice.

"Yes we have, and for quite a price at that." The witch said triumphantly, managing to maintain her confidence as she quickly removed her hand from Lucius' person as he scowled at her. "They should be here to collect it any minute now."

"Which one has already been sold?" Hermione asked casually, this time sounding much more like Narcissa.

"This beauty in here." She said as she opened a chest to reveal a large, smooth yellow egg which Hermione recognised at once as the egg the man from Borgin's had talked about. "Now isn't that something special."

"Is it a mutation? It doesn't look much like a dragon egg to me." Lucius asked in a more disinterested tone than usual, somewhat taking the witch by surprise. Hermione knew it was his way of getting her to tell him what she knew, if he sounded unimpressed she was more likely to tell him.

"We're not sure what it is, but it's definitely a dragon, nothing else lays eggs this colour or this hard." She said as she knocked the egg with her fist.

"Could be a Horntail." Hermione interjected. "Their eggs are notoriously hard."

"That's a good point, but the colour is all wrong, Hungarians have grey eggs." Lucius mused as he took a step closer to the egg, trying to get a better look. Before he could get close however the witch shut the chest and, to her credit, only cringed slightly when she saw the look on Lucius' face.

"I'm sorry, but my clients will be here soon and I can't risk anything happening to this egg, their paying a fortune for it and I didn't go to all the effort of getting it for nothing."

"Where did you get it?" Hermione asked, this was the perfect opportunity to find out if these where the eggs Charlie was missing and she wasn't about to miss it.

"Snagged them when they were leaving for Romania, some drunken old man wouldn't stop going on about being privileged enough to see them before they went off, and one of my girls couldn't help but overhear."

"Slughorn…" Hermione whispered under her breath.

"What?" The witch questioned.

"I was just thinking what good luck you had." She lied.

"Oh yeah, it's not usually that easy to intercept those missions but that guy even told her where it was happening and everything." She laughed. "But anyway, are you interested in buying one?"

"I'm afraid I would have great difficulty hiding a dragon, even on my estate, so I think we will have to pass." Lucius declined.

"Yes, I think we will have to stick to the ornamental variety." Hermione agreed.

"Suit yourself." The witch said as she waved them off, clearly too proud to try and persuade them.

They moved off into the corner of the room where they couldn't be overheard and discussed what they ought to do next.

* * *

"How long until the aurors get here?" Lucius asked, worried that they would show up early. If they saw him he'd have a hard time coming up with a legitimate reason for being here, because he certainly wasn't going to be able to tell them the truth.

Lucius knew no one would believe him, most people would think he'd used the imperious curse on Hermione , although, that said, he'd prefer that than have them think badly of her. He laughed to himself at that thought, fancy Lucius Malfoy being worried about Hermione's reputation at being seen with him, only a few years ago, well weeks ago really, he wouldn't have dared to be seen with a muggle-born, especially the most famous one of them all.

"We've got about ten minutes." She said, looking at her watch.

"What do you think we should do?"

"Let's wait, see who comes for this mysterious egg, and if the aurors arrive before that we'll apparate and hopefully they'll apprehend them."

Lucius nodded and lead them to a bench that was slightly concealed by a stall selling rare feathers but still gave them a clear view of the eggs. Hermione sat next to him and, although there was ample room for both of them, she chose to sit close, and he couldn't resist the urge to take her hand in his own. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her start to turn and look at him, but she stopped herself, and instead held his hand a little tighter, intertwining her fingers with his own as she brought her attention back to the eggs.

Luckily for them, only a minute passed before the buyers turned up, and he admitted he wasn't surprised to see that one of them was Dolohov, the other Avery. Avery looked worse than Dolohov, the years on the run clearly taking a greater toll on him. He had once been quite an intelligent man, but lacked any confidence or skill at leadership, so it didn't surprise Lucius that he was still following around other death eaters like a lost dog.

The transaction was quick and, instead of leaving the way they came, the pair began to walk towards the door near where Lucius and Hermione were sat. He really didn't want to start talking to them again, the aurors would be here any minute and if they just apparated away now then the two would know something was up.

Hermione came to a solution quicker than he did and suddenly her lips were on his. This time he was more prepared for it and, considering it was likely to stop Dolohov and Avery from interrupting them, he thought he should make it look, well, uninterruptable.

Lucius deepened the kiss, moving his hand to her neck and parting her lips with his tongue. She let out a quiet but low moan as she scraped her teeth along his tongue, her own hand now intertwined in his hair. Their kiss was broken far too early by the sharp sound of Avery's laugh and Lucius looked up to find him hovering over them.

"Looks like getting divorced did you two quite a lot of good, doesn't it Lucius." He barked.

"Your timing is impeccable as ever Avery." Lucius said, malice lining his calm tone as he stood to his full height, now towering over the two men. Hermione stood to join him but not as close as before, the red in her cheeks showing her embarrassment at being caught, Lucius surprised at himself for even noticing it when his attention was focused on her now slightly swollen lips.

"I think we might be heading back to the Manor now." Lucius said briskly.

"I'm sure you are." Dolohov replied in a not so subtle way, shooting Lucius a wink.

"Lovely to see you again Narcissa." Avery said as he shook Hermione's hand, not looking all that comfortable with the situation.

Suddenly they heard cracks of apparation and screams from the next room, Lucius realising the aurors must have arrived. Dolohov was quick to react and disapparated, egg in hand. Lucius was about to reach for Hermione's arm but, before his eyes, Avery disappeared, his hand still holding Hermione's.

His heart dropped as he realised that she was gone too.


	10. A Close Call

Hermione only realised what was happening when it was too late and now here she was, in a dark wood in Merlin knows where, with a death eater. She still had her wand and her beaded bag so that was lucky but she couldn't really just apparate straight away could she, it would look far too suspicious.

As much as she hated to admit it, she cared about Lucius, and she didn't want to give his old comrades any reason to go after him. They probably believed he was still on their side, and maybe he was, only putting up with the Ministry to save himself from Azkaban. Finding out he was spending his time with one of Harry Potters best friends, a muggle-born no less, would definitely change that, and as she glanced at her watch realised that Avery would be finding out very soon if she didn't leave quickly.

"Oh shit, Narcissa, I didn't mean to bring you with me, you're not splinched are you?" Said Avery and, although his words showed concern, his tone did not. "We wouldn't want a repeat of what happened to you in Bulgaria now would we."

"Definitely not." She said with a nervous laugh.

He smiled but his face quickly dropped and his wand twitched in his hand. " What a curious coincidence, it was Mcnair who was splinched in Bulgaria wasn't it, how strange that the exact same thing happened to you."

Hermione began to panic, he knew, the bloody bastard knew something was up. She needed to come up with a plan, and fast. She could apparate away right now but he could easily shoot a spell at her before that, but, surprisingly, her primary concern was Lucius. She somehow needed to move any blame away from him but the only way she could do it was by shifting the attention to herself.

"You surprise me Avery, I'd always heard you weren't the brightest bulb in the box." She began, trying to imitate Lucius' when he used his most domineering tone.

He initially looked confused, his unfamiliarity with the muggle phrase obvious, but he must have concluded that it was an insult as he shot a stinging jinx towards her. She deflected it easily, thankful that the war had made her a more than proficient dueller.

"How did you realise I was an imposter?" She questioned in a casual tone. If she maintained an air of confidence and calm the situation was much less likely to get out of hand.

"Your eyes were the only thing that gave you away. Narcissa always looked a little dead, as if the only way she could talk to us was by supressing everything she felt towards us, but yours, no yours, were full of hate." He said as he spat across the ground, a habit that Hermione had always despised.

"Well I commend you on your observations, Lucius didn't even pick up on it." She added, determined to remove any suspicion of his involvement.

"I always knew I was smarter than him, never knew why he was favoured more by the dark lord than I was." He mumbled to himself and Hermione had to supress a scoff that this man genuinely thought he was anything like Lucius, let alone better than him.

"How is it you managed to impersonate Narcissa? And why? Who are you anyway?" Avery asked, clearly not intelligent enough to work that out was he.

"Oh it was easy enough." She mused as she began to pace slowly away from him to lean against a tree, grateful to have something at her back. "I discovered that Narcissa would be coming here with Lucius tonight and managed to intercept her, and, using a little veritaserum, found out where they were meeting."

She was starting to feel the tell-tale bubbling that indicated that the potions effects were wearing off and was having to try pretty hard now to maintain her composure.

"But why impersonate her?" He questioned impatiently, wand still trained on her.

"I needed to get into the auction without raising suspicion and this seemed the perfect way. What could be better than being someone that everyone would notice, but most would ignore thanks to the man on her arm." She lied effortlessly.

"I can't believe Lucius fell for it, what a fool, I knew he'd never paid enough attention to Narcissa, any good husband would know whether or not someone was really his wife."

Oh now this was interesting, it seemed Avery held a bit of a flame for Narcissa. This was good, his feelings would hopefully stop him from working out Lucius was involved.

He was mumbling to himself now but as her foot caused a twig to break he returned his attention to her. "Why did you need to get into the auction? It was you who tipped off the aurors wasn't it!" He accused.

She was having a bit of a dilemma about answering that one. On one hand she still wanted to find out about the eggs, but letting him know why she was after them would likely lead to him discovering her true identity.

"Maybe I was after that egg you bought." She suggested, not sounding as confident as she would have liked as she noticed the ends of her blonde hair slowly begin to turn brunette.

"Yeah right, Lestrange is the only one who knows what's in that egg so I don't see why you'd have any interest in it."

"Lestrange?" At first she thought of Bellatrix but realised he must be referring to Rodolphus and was surprised to find out that there were yet more death eaters involved in this.

"Damn it." He mumbled which caused Hermione to roll her eyes as she'd always thought that if you had something to say you should say it clearly. "You got me talking, aren't you clever, now I've let on a little too much. I think it's time to get rid of you now." He said with a crazed smile as he made his way towards her.

Avery shot the first hex but Hermione was expecting it and dodged whilst sending a counter curse of her own. He deflected it and shot another but it hit the tree she was now hiding behind. They exchanged a few more spells but Hermione knew she would be back to looking like herself in only a matter of seconds so knew she had to finish this quickly. She shot a spell at a loose branch above his head and it came crashing down on him, seemingly knocking him out and his wand from his hand.

Once she was certain it was safe she stepped out from behind the tree to grab his wand and checked his pockets for anything that might give her some clues as to Dolohov and the eggs location. She found nothing of interest other than a very pretty purple maple leaf, glowing slightly, which she put in her bag and thought to herself how curious it was that a man like Avery would decide to keep it.

Luckily she had her phone on her, something she often wondered why more wizards didn't have, and managed to work out where she was. Despite wanting to go and find Lucius to tell him she was alright, she thought it best to go straight to the Ministry to tell Harry where Avery was so that they could come and collect him. With a sigh of relief she flicked her wand to leave, but, the relief was short lived, as just when she was starting to apparate away she saw Avery slowly lift his head from the ground and as his eyes locked on her, simply hearing him say the word " _Granger_."

* * *

Lucius had been in somewhat of a panic since Hermione had vanished. He knew he couldn't be seen at the auction so had apparated to the Manor gates in hope that Hermione would come straight back once she had realised the mistake. He had created a rough patch in the ground with his pacing by the time he decided it had been far too long and was stuck as to what to do next.

He had no idea where Avery would have gone and couldn't just go looking everywhere by himself. What he needed was the help of the aurors, but then he was presented with the problem of them not believing his story and probably arresting him.

If only there was someone close to Hermione, someone with influence in the auror department who might listen to him long enough to hear him out and…ah. As much as he hated the man who had ruined (and in some ways saved) his life, he realised his only hope here was to go and see the infernally infamous Harry Potter.

He instructed Lika to alert him if Hermione returned and made his way to the Ministry through the floo system. It was usually eerily quiet in the Ministry after hours but he noticed as he quickly strode through the atrium that tonight there were quite a few witches and wizards bustling about the corridors, presumably due to the raid at the auction.

Although he received a few suspicious and scornful looks he managed to make his way to Harry's office without any incidents, even the security at the auror department accepted his story about having important information for Mr Potter without too much of an issue.

He was about to knock on the door when he heard a sound that caused him to sigh with relief. Hermione's voice.

* * *

"OK Hermione, tell me what happened." Harry said as he handed her a hot cup of tea.

She lied, she had to, but she felt bad about it. Harry was her best friend but some things she knew he just wouldn't understand, she barely understood them herself.

The aurors had gone to collect Avery as soon as she got back but, alas, he had managed to escape despite her taking his wand and, although frustrating that he had gotten away (she knew she should have stunned him for good measure), it meant that it would be easier for her to make something up with no one to contradict her story.

Hermione told Harry that she'd gone disguised to the auction to try and discover more about the eggs just in case the aurors didn't get there in time and that Avery had recognised her and apparated away with her. She recounted how they had battled, just in case the aurors checked her wand to validate the story, and that she'd knocked him out and escaped. Harry was angry that she'd put herself at risk like that but she thought it was a small price to pay for him to believe her story.

"Well, for now I think you're going to have to go to a safe house, they know it was you and I wouldn't be surprised if they came after you." Harry explained.

"Don't you think that's a bit extreme." She started, the idea of being locked away in some random house not appealing to her at all, it would be impossible for her work, not to mention see Lucius.

"Just during the night at least then." He compromised. "I reckon you'll be safe enough here at the Ministry doing your work but it won't be hard for them to find out where you live."

"I suppose you're right." She conceded, trying not to sound too angry about being treated like someone who couldn't defend themselves. "But where do you think I should go?" She questioned dubiously.

"Well it would be obvious if you stayed with me or the Weasleys, or really anyone you know for that matter, so we should probably use someone from the Ministries programme."

"Surely if we do that though it wouldn't be that difficult for them to find out who I was with, I wouldn't be surprised if there was still a friend or two of theirs working here." Hermione pointed out.

"As much as I don't want to believe that, I think you're right, we'll just have to think of ones we know of and contact them secretly ourselves, the question is who…"

Before they could come up with anyone their conversation was interrupted by a crisp knock on the door, in walking the solution to their problem, cane in hand.

* * *

Lucius entered the room to see Hermione with a subtle smile on her lips and Potter looking somewhat bewildered at his presence.

"Miss Granger." He greeted in a way he hoped conveyed his feelings of relief at seeing her alright, "Mr Potter." He nodded.

"What are you doing here at this time of night Malfoy? " Harry questioned, he sounded frustrated but not harsh. It was in fact, a good question, considering Lucius reason for coming here was now obsolete, and he wondered why he had even come in now that he knew Hermione was safe.

"I asked him here." Hermione interjected. "I forgot to mention it, but earlier this afternoon I bumped into Mr Malfoy in Diagon Alley."

"Quite literally actually." Lucius added in a mildly annoyed tone. He wasn't sure where she was going with this but he thought he ought to play along, even if it did involve her reverting back to calling him Mr Malfoy.

"Yes, I really should stop reading and walking." She joked with ease, he was starting to believe her story himself it sounded so natural. "Well, anyway, we got talking and - "

"Since when do you two talk?" Harry interrupted, clearly suspicious.

"I have aided Miss Granger on several of her cases and it turns out we have quite a lot in common." Lucius stated simply.

"Yes, and, as I was saying," Hermione continued as she shot Harry a look for being rude. "He noticed the book I was reading and it reminded him that he had leant me a similar one which I had yet to return, so, he escorted me home in order to retrieve the book and to pick out one of mine."

"Where are you going with this?" Harry asked exasperatedly. Good question thought Lucius.

"Well, when I was about to leave for the auction he was still in my library and left just before I apparated, but, when I got to the auction there he was again, with Narcissa in the middle of the house in completely different attire."

Once Lucius realised what she was doing he could truly believe why she was called the brightest witch of her age. She was managing to explain Lucius' presence in Harry's office and moving any blame away from him if any of the people arrested at the auction said they saw him there, she really was an impressive woman.

"So let me get this straight, someone was at the auction impersonating Mr Malfoy here, is that what you're saying?" Harry asked with a slightly sceptical edge.

"Well that's what I thought; it's why I sent for him to come here, to explain himself before any false accusations were made." Hermione replied as if it were obvious.

"Yes, I was most distressed at the news." Added Lucius. " I am most grateful that Miss Granger informed me straight away as I would so hate to be implicated in partaking in activities like that after all these years." Lucius said, surprised at how genuine he managed to sound.

Harry looked dubious but clearly found no real reason to object to Hermione's story, she was, after all, a close friend to him, and despite not wanting to believe that she and Lucius were on talking terms he could obviously see how they could be.

"Well that's curious, do you think someone was impersonating Narcissa as well?" Harry asked, starting to take notes.

"Most likely, I happen to know that Draco is visiting her in Italy this week and I see no reason why she would go to something like that these days." Lucius said. He and Narcissa were divorced but he wouldn't have her name dragged through the dirt more than he had already caused it to be in his past.

"Hm, well I guess we'll have to look into that. Thank you Mr Malfoy for coming in but Hermione and I have some important business to discuss." Harry said politely but with a slightly spiteful edge to his voice, it was obvious he would have enjoyed having a reason to put Lucius on trial again.

Lucius bid them goodbye as courteously as he could manage and was about to close the door when quite unexpectedly Harry called him back in.

"Yes, Mr Potter?"

"Mr Malfoy, your home is on the Ministries safe house list right?" Harry asked with a slight glint in his eyes.

"Unfortunately it is, why?" Lucius asked, his eyebrow raised.

"Hermione, would you be willing to stay at Malfoy Manor for a while until we catch these guys? I know you might feel uncomfortable going back to that house but the death eaters really would never look for you there and, since Lucius is already here, we could organise it straight away."

Lucius couldn't quite believe what was happening. He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, Hermione required a safe house, something bad must have happened with Avery. He had been thinking about his excuses for seeing her again after their little escapade, but having her staying in his home would remove that problem entirely. How funny it was that it was Mr Potter that was helping him out, even if he didn't realise what he was doing.

"Well it makes sense." Hermione said somewhat less enthusiastically than Lucius would have liked.

"And you're sure you won't mind being there, I mean, after what happened to you?"

That's when it dawned on Lucius why she might have reservations about it, as much as he tried to burn the memory of the night she was tortured from his mind, he could still remember it as if it had just happened. It was that day when he'd finally realised how low he'd sunk, how much he had let down his family, what a coward he had truly become, and he shuddered slightly at the thought.

"Mr Malfoy." Potter said loudly as he tried to get Lucius' attention back, clearly he had been a little too distracted.

"Yes, sorry."

"Would you be able to take Hermione there tonight?"

"Of course, shall we go now Miss Granger, if you have nothing left to discuss?"

"Yes let's." She agreed as she got up and, after bidding her farewell to Harry, they left his office.

Once alone outside they didn't say anything to each other, for some reason they didn't have to. Hermione slipped her arms around his waist and, pulling her tightly against him, he apparated them away, just before a certain red head turned round the corner, oblivious to everything that was happening.


	11. Coward

Lucius had been unable to get to sleep since Hermione and he had returned from the Ministry, and not for the reasons he may have hoped. As he noticed the first signs of sunlight begin to seep through the bottom of his curtains he rolled over with a groan, burying his head into his black silk sheets.

They had discussed the evening's events over warm cups of tea in the library, gone over every detail, discovery and idea, but both had avoided any mention of what had transpired between the two of them.

It had started as an act for him, a performance, but his actions at the auction were clearly driven by his now seemingly constant urge to be near her, to feel her pressed tightly up against him. At first, she had responded better than he could have hoped for, but, as they had sat together that evening, as far apart as the furniture would allow, she had not once looked him in the eye.

Why was it she was reacting this way? He was sure that she wanted him too, and as a man who was used to getting what he wanted, he was struggling to comprehend what was happening.

It was only when on his way to bed and he walked past the locked up room where she had been tortured that he started to understand.

Lucius himself had reservations about how he felt. It went against everything he had ever known, to feel this way for her. She should be his enemy, he should despise even being in the same room as the woman who had caused him so much pain and anger. From the first time Draco came home complaining that he was only second best in his classes, to the time that her efforts with Potter in the department of mysteries had him thrown in Azkaban, he had always held a special place of hatred just for her. He recognised however, that what he had to overcome must be nothing to what must be running through that brilliant mind of hers.

To her, he must represent everything she had fought to destroy, everything that had ever caused her and her friends pain. Speaking of her friends, he could imagine that even the idea that they talked to each other was unimaginable, evident from Potter's reaction that evening, so anything more would probably cause a great rift between them.

He decided that if he wanted her, and he undeniably did, then he would have to play the waiting game, and he had spent the night making his plan. She was staying in his home and she still needed to wait a week for the polyjuice potion from him, so, he wouldn't lack any opportunities to see her, to change her mind.

His plan would be to let her see that he wasn't a monster by being the perfect and helpful gentleman, a part he knew all too well how to play. In truth, it would be easy for him because he genuinely wanted to be nice (even thinking the word made him twitch a little) to the witch who, since coming into his life, had made it better than it had been in years.

Once Hermione had warmed to him, he would try and reignite the flame between them which had been so apparent the evening before. Something he realised he might struggle to restrain himself from doing sooner if it weren't for his job at Hogwarts keeping him busy for most of the week.

Happy with his new understanding and future plans for the situation, Lucius finally managed to fall to sleep just as Lika brought in his morning pot of tea.

Instead of greeting her master as usual, she apparated quickly away when a low growl started to come from the uncharacteristically dishevelled mess of blonde hair on the bed.

* * *

Hermione awoke that morning determined to tell Lucius that what had happened between them last night had all been a big mistake. However, she decided against it when she actually found him.

Lucius was sitting at the long table in the dining room and acted like nothing had happened, simply being polite and friendly. He informed her that Lika had gone to fetch her things from her house and that she was welcome to go wherever she pleased in the house, well, almost everywhere. Apparently there were some rooms that were locked due to lingering dark magic and bad memories from when the Manor had had its 'visitors' all those years ago.

Lucius had behaved impeccably all morning, and Hermione found herself with little reason to have what would probably have been a very uncomfortable conversation with him, so happily bid him goodbye as he left for Hogwarts.

As much as Hermione didn't want to admit her feelings, which she had so foolishly acted on the night before, she told herself that she just couldn't be that way with him. She feared what her friends would think of her, hated him for what he and his family had done to her, and knew that all of his ideals were so far from what was right. Well, that's what she used to believe anyway.

Deep down she knew that the view she used to have of him had dramatically changed since she started spending time with him, but part of her kept telling her it would be wrong if she acted on the feelings she so clearly felt for him. Deciding she didn't want to think on it any more she thought it would be best to busy herself. She had a lot of work to do thanks to the new information from the auction so gathered her notes, which she happily found in neat piles in the large room Lucius had given her, and made her way to the Ministry.

On her desk there were at least ten letters from members of different departments commending and thanking her for her role in the raid, and even one from the Minister himself congratulating her on her efforts. Hermione was always pleased to see some recognition for her hard work and couldn't help but smile to herself at her success.

Once she had read all the messages she began to make a start on the multitude of folders that were stacked in front of her. Over the weekend she had requested various documents to help her with her cases and now there were at least twenty that she could begin to go over.

Hermione had only just opened the first page when there was a knock on her door and Charlie Weasley walked in beaming.

"You, Hermione Granger, are bloody incredible!" He practically shouted as he bound up to her desk.

"It has been said." Hermione replied as a sense of happiness spread through her, Charlie's smile always a little infectious.

"Not only did you get almost all my eggs back, but you helped catch the guys who did it, you really are something." He said as he sat down opposite her, his long legs dangling over the arm of the chair.

"Sorry I didn't manage to retrieve all of them Charlie, I'm working on getting that last one back though." She said, trying to sound optimistic.

"Oh, that odd yellow one? Can't say I'll miss it too much, never trust an egg you don't know I always say, but I bet Slughorn will be sad to hear it's gone."

"What do you mean? Why would Slughorn be sad?" She asked quickly, Slughorn's name catching her attention. His role in this had been bothering her from the start, but so far she hadn't been able to come up with a reason why.

"Well if I'm honest I wasn't really listening to him, you know how he blabbers on sometimes, but he seemed particularly taken with it, mumbled something about couldn't believe what he was seeing, and started rambling on about newts or something."

"Newts? Are you sure that's what he said?"

"Yeah, and I think he mentioned salamanders too, but, like I said, I wasn't really paying him much attention." He said casually as he started to fiddle with some of the ornaments on her desk, moving them from their perfectly positioned places.

Hermione couldn't work out what Slughorn could have been talking about and wished Charlie had been paying him more attention. The egg couldn't belong to a newt or a salamander, so that wasn't it, but she had a hunch that whatever he was saying must have been important.

"Oh yeah!" Charlie said a little too loudly, shaking Hermione from her thoughts. "Ron wanted me to ask you if you're coming to our Christmas party on Sunday, he's been pestering me about asking you all week."

"Has he?" Hermione asked sceptically.

"Mhmm, he's practically mauled our poor owl every time she brings the post too."

In truth, Hermione had given the party very little thought. She'd been rather distracted lately with her work and, when she hadn't been working. her mind was more often than not thinking about Lucius.

"I don't know Charlie, wouldn't it be a bit awkward?"

"Nah, everybody's moved on, especially after Harry started to give them the cold shoulder for being like they were with you, he even stopped talking to Ginny for a while you know."

Hermione knew Harry had stuck up for her, but she had no idea it had gone that far, he really was one hell of a friend.

"Well, in that case I'll come then, it would be nice to get back on good terms with everyone again."

"Great!" Charlie exclaimed as he sprang up from the chair. "Right, I've got to go fill out the paperwork to get those eggs back before one of them hatches and wreaks havoc." He joked as he made his way to the door. "Thanks again Hermione, and see you at seven on Sunday!"

She smiled to herself as the door shut behind him, Charlie was always so cheerful and enthusiastic and she was grateful that he was helping her mend the broken friendship between her and his family.

After repositioning the ornaments Charlie had moved, Hermione got back to the work at hand, and tried not to think too much about why Ron was so keen that she came to their party.

* * *

Friday evening came around very slowly for Lucius. He had decided that this would be the appropriate time to try and shift their relationship from friends, or whatever it was they had become, to what he wished she would let them be.

Lucius had been on his best behaviour all week and had learnt a lot more about Hermione and her life. She had told him many stories from her tumultuous past but, more often than not, would stop herself before she began to tell a tale involving himself or Draco.

His good behaviour at home and the enormous amount of self-restraint he was having to employ had meant he was somewhat less than amicable to other people. His pesky students at Hogwarts had taken the worst of it, and he was glad to hear that they had dubbed him worse than Snape, something he took as a compliment.

This evening he sat in his library, a place that Hermione and he had got into the habit of meeting in, with two glasses and a bottle of his finest fire whiskey waiting on the table. Hermione always got back promptly, three hours after her shift had officially ended, at eight, and tonight was no different. She had started the week well it seemed and was very optimistic, even after one of the useless Weasley boys gave her what Lucius viewed as very unhelpful assistance. As the days wore on however, her work, and seemingly her mood, had most definitely gotten worse. Therefore he was not so surprised to see her come in with a look of exhaustion and frustration on her face, poorly hidden behind what he surprisingly found himself hoping was a genuine smile at him.

Lucius considered himself one of the best when it came to reading a person's face, but Hermione seemed to be on a par with him at schooling her own expressions so he was never quite sure what she was thinking. He was an accomplished legilimens so could easily delve into her mind if he truly wanted to know, but he had always stopped himself, he wanted her to tell him how she felt freely. Even if he had wanted to he was fairly certain she would be able to stop him, her talents in so many things were truly extraordinary.

He had positioned the room with care before she came home. They typically sat by the fire where there were two arm chairs, one of which Hermione usually took, and a sofa. Today he had moved one of the chairs across the room to a small alcove, making it appear that he had been reading there. The other he had placed a large pile of books on in the hope that she would sit on the sofa with him. It was big enough to comfortably seat three, but none the less, the proximity would hopefully help his cause.

To his delight she walked straight past the chair, not even stopping to contemplate moving the books even though it would have been easy with magic, and sat down next to him with a sigh.

"Another rough day?" He asked as he poured them both a drink.

"You have no idea. Every lead I followed up was useless and I seem to be getting no closer to finishing either of these cases." She said exasperatedly as she took a large swig of fire whiskey. Lucius would have been more impressed that she didn't flinch as the firey liquid inevitably burned its way down her throat, but found that he simply felt sad. He had been avoiding it all week but he had found himself caring more and more about Hermione. When she laughed at something it made him smile, but now, as he saw the look of defeat and anguish on her face, he felt her pain inside himself.

"I confess that my week has not been much better than your own." He sighed wearily as he put his glass back on the table, not even the fire whiskey could make this ache within him go away.

"But you always seem in such good spirits Lucius? I have to admit that I've been a little surprised…" She admitted.

"Well so am I. It has been a while since I have in fact had something to be in good spirits about."

"What's changed?" She asked tentatively as she placed her hand on his arm, genuine concern, and was it apprehension, in her eyes. He wasn't sure if she honestly didn't realise the effect she had been having on him, or whether she was seeking confirmation of it, the part of him he kept well hidden hoped it was the latter.

He looked down at her hand and then into her hazel eyes. Seeing the trust and kindness in them made a feeling of warmth spread through him which collected in his chest. It felt almost pleasant at first, but as he continued to look into Hermione's eyes the feeling was replaced by a sharp and almost suffocating pain. His plans of simply seducing her were quickly gone as he realised what he now wanted, no, _needed._

Hermione would be his. And once he had her he was never going to let her go.

The realisation made him feel vulnerable for the first time since Voldemort had died. He felt fear, a fear that she would leave him, a fear of rejection. _Coward!_ A voice inside him shouted. The name he had been called by so many but always most venomously by himself. He should tell her to leave, shut her out of her life. It would be easiest, surely it would be the best thing for both of them. The thought made his chest tighter, the pain more intense. _No_ , he told himself, you are not going to be a coward any more.

He brought his hand up to cup the side of her face and slowly but purposefully leant down and kissed her, his lips softly brushing hers. The kiss was quick, but meaningful, and he pulled back, his lips now hovering just over hers.

"Everything has changed." He said in a raspy whisper, his grey eyes piercing hers, before he quickly stood and apparated from the room.


	12. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The explicit rating finally comes into use.
> 
> Beta'd by the wondrous Mari681.

Hermione could have sat there in shock, letting the seconds turn to minutes and time blur by. Another woman might have left right then and there, never coming back, might have sat and contemplated his words and actions at length, but not Miss Granger.

 _"Everything has changed."_  Lucius had said and, for Hermione, everything had finally clicked into place. She had changed, he had changed, the wizarding world had changed, and if Lucius Malfoy was what she wanted, then that was what would happen, the consequences be damned.

She didn't know where he'd apparated away to, but did know she wanted to find him as quickly as possible. Striding quickly from the library, she heard a loud thud, then what sounded like shattering stone, from above her. She took the stairs two at a time and ran along the corridor towards the noise, stopping when it reached its loudest outside a pair of large black wooden doors.

Not hesitating, or even knocking, she flung open the door. The room was strewn with smashed statues, burnt paintings and worst of all, in Hermione's opinion, books with significantly less pages than they should have. If it were any other day, and if she had any other goal in mind, she would have said something about mistreating books. Instead, she walked straight towards where Lucius sat, head in hands, on the end of his bed. He looked up as she approached, almost flinching in anticipation of what he most likely assumed as imminent rejection or retribution for his actions.

Hermione surprised even herself, as she lifted up his chin to look her in the eyes and climbed into his lap, her knees either side of his hips, and hovered her lips over his as he had done to her mere minutes ago.

"Yes, Lucius, everything has changed." She whispered before closing the distance between their lips, returning the kiss he hadn't give her the chance to earlier.

Lucius' hands immediately came to rest on her hips and he kissed her back fiercely, eliciting a low moan of approval from Hermione. His tongue ran along her lip, begging for entry, which she gladly gave it, then started to fight for dominance with her own. She intertwined her hands in his hair and pulled him even closer, rocking her hips slightly as she did. The guttural sound that came from Lucius sent shivers up her spine, and his grip on her turned bruising hard as he bucked up into her. Suddenly he was lifting her, her legs wrapped tightly around his back, as he carried her round the bed and placed her surprisingly carefully on the sheets. He climbed on top of her, his long hair tickling her chest, as he looked into her eyes.

"Hermione." He said, his voice strained and gravelly.

"Lucius." She replied huskily, a single tear running down her cheek.

Shock suddenly registered on his face, and he made to move off her, but she stopped him with a soft touch to his cheek.

"You're crying Hermione, is this not what you want? I thought-"

She cut him off in the only way she could, with a kiss, abruptly stopping his worried rambling. She almost giggled to see Lucius like this, so nervous and unsure of himself, so very different from the strong, controlled person he always appeared to be.

"I am crying because I am happy, you fool." She told him in a silvery tone, resting her forehead against his.

"So you do want this? Me?" He asked apprehensively.

"More than I have ever wanted anything."

The smile that appeared on Lucius' face was so big that Hermione was sure it would have even made Voldemort happy to see. She didn't realise until she said the words how true they were, but she didn't have long to think on it as Lucius' mouth had descended on hers once again and her ability to think clearly was severely diminished.

She ran her hands down his chest and slowly began to undo the buttons of his shirt. Once all were undone he sat up to remove it and Hermione almost groaned at the loss of contact. She reached for the hem of her dress to take it off as well but he stopped her, his hands clasped around her own on her thighs as she looked at him questioningly.

"You wouldn't deprive me the opportunity to undress you myself now, would you Hermione?" He teased in his formal tone, his hands lazily making their way up her legs.

He hooked his long fingers into the top of her underwear, flicking his thumb deliberately over her clit, and pulled them down. The corner of his lips turned up in a satisfied smile as her hips jerked towards him, and he could not contain the low chuckle that escaped him when he saw her lace knickers where dark green, topped with a silver bow.

"These don't strike me as your favourite colours." He quipped, noticing the slight blush on her cheeks.

"I've become rather fond of them recently..." She admitted, causing his smile to widen. "They remind me of Christmas." She slyly added.

"Well, I think from now on they will remind me of something entirely different." He purred as he tucked them into his pocket, his eyes darkening to a stormy grey.

Lucius leant over her again and started to kiss down her neck, his tongue flicking out to taste her, and his teeth lightly grazing her skin. He was slowly working her into a frenzy with his teasing touches, never giving her the friction she so desperately craved. His hand went to her back, undoing the zip on her dress excruciatingly slowly, then pulling it from her body, kissing her newly exposed flesh as he did.

He kissed the inside of her thighs, and she whimpered as his breath ghosted over her core before returning to capture her lips once more. Lucius made her feel like she never thought she could, as she had never felt before. Her body was on fire, the ache between her legs evident from the wetness dripping down her thighs.

She had only ever been with two men before this and even the better of them couldn't compare to Lucius, and he'd barely touched her yet. Her first had always been special, Victor Krum, at the end of her sixth year. It was fuelled by lust still lingering from his visit to Hogwarts years before, but he was a caring and generous lover, and Hermione was happy it had been with him. Ron however, who still believed himself to be her first, was sloppy and only cared for his own needs and desires, taking no consideration for hers.

Her thoughts of Ron, and Victor, were quickly gone, along with her bra, as Lucius chuckled, removing the green matching set to her pants. With a flick of his hand his trousers were gone too, leaving his erection pressing up against his black silk boxers. He rubbed himself over her, both groaning at the contact, but then again he held himself away, seemingly with great difficulty, as she tried to buck against him again.

Lucius took one of her nipples into his mouth, his tongue lavishing the already hard bud, his fingers the other. He was torturing her with his touches, or lack of them, as he worshipped her breasts, until she could take it no longer.

"Please, Lucius." She rasped.

He lightly bit down on her nipple causing her to cry out in pleasure. "Please what?" He murmured against her breast as he soothed her with his tongue.

"Please Lucius, touch me."

He pressed his hard cock, still clad in its' silken confines, against her again and rolled his hips "Like this?" He asked, trying to sound innocent, but failing as it instead came out as a throaty moan. He was finally beginning to lose his control and Hermione revelled in the groan that escaped his lips when she rocked her hips back into his. He removed his throbbing cock from her and replaced it with his fingers, slowly parting her slick folds and stroking her with a feather light touch. She had never felt anything so perfect and she pushed up into his hand and felt him smile against her breast.

He slipped two fingers inside of her causing her breath the hitch. "So wet for me, my witch." He murmured almost incoherently as he began to work his fingers inside her. He slowly pumped them within her, his thumb firmly pressed against her clit. Her head fell back against the pillows and her chest heaved as she writhed beneath him, his movements slowly working her towards orgasm. "Take me Lucius." She practically begged before he could, she wanted him to be inside her when she came.

He let out a shaky breath and removed his fingers from her, only to bring them up to his mouth, licked off her musky wetness, closing his eyes as he savoured the taste, smiling when he heard Hermione's throaty sound of approval.

He vanished his boxers and his, not surprisingly, significantly large cock sprang free. He carefully positioned it over her entrance and looked into her eyes.

"Hermione." He said almost as a question, his fear that this was not what she wanted still evident, somehow still doubting that she could want him.

"Lucius." She breathed out with a smile and it was all the confirmation he needed. He pushed into her, both sighing with relief at finally being joined. She had never felt so perfectly stretched and full, it was like they had been made to fit together. He stayed still for a few seconds while she adjusted to his size but finally started to move as she rolled her hips against him. She locked her ankles around his waist, her hands gripping his shoulders, as she met him thrust for thrust.

At first he kept a calm, slow pace but as her nails dug into him and she pressed him further into her he couldn't keep it up for long. He changed his angle and he began to hit the spot deep inside her with made her cry out his name. He growled against her neck and increased his pace, now rubbing against her clit with every stroke. The combined pleasure was intoxicating and she could feel her walls begin to flutter around him as his hips began to lose their rhythm.

"Come for me, witch." He all but growled through his rasping breaths.

He started to pound into her with abandon, the sensation he was creating within her overwhelming, and she came harder than she had ever before. Her cunt throbbed around him and his cries of pleasure soon joined her own as he spilled within her, her name on his lips.

They clung to each other, their sweat sheened bodies sticking together, as they both regained their breath. Once they had recovered he pulled out of her, both making a sound of protest at no longer being connected. Not wanting to lose the contact with her, he pulled her tightly to him as he kissed the back of her neck. A low, satisfied hum came from her as she pulled his arm against her and pressed herself closer.

Lucius didn't think he had ever been happier than he was right now. Not even when Draco had been born, or when Voldemort finally died. He had Hermione, his Hermione, tightly in his arms. But he was scared that if he let her go, she'd be gone forever.

After a couple of minutes, or was it hours, she broke the silence.

"Lucius, are you awake?" She asked.

"Mhmm?" He answered sleepily.

She hesitated, and the room fell silent once more, causing panic to quickly spread through him. Was this it? Would she tell him that it had all been a mistake? That she was going to leave? He didn't think he could bare it. Over these last few weeks she had become everything to him, and to have it all be over just like that would surely break him.

"Don't leave me." She breathed out in a shaky whisper, stealing the words that were on his lips.

"Never." He promised, pulling her impossibly tighter against him. "Never."


	13. Lion Amongst Snakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to my Beta Mari681 for doing such a good job on this chapter even though she was so busy, and for her idea to include the Library of Alexandria.

Hermione awoke to soft kisses being peppered on her shoulders, a hard muscled body pressed against her back. She sighed contently and turned to face the source of the pleasure. She met Lucius' grey eyes, practically sparkling in the early morning sunlight, and smiled as she tucked a rogue lock of hair behind his ear.

He turned into her hand and started kissing her palm, then began making his way along her arm. He worked over her whole body, stopping at the sensitive spot at the crook of her neck, spending a considerably longer time on both of her breasts, and torturously slowly kissed down her stomach. He parted her legs with both of his large palms and placed himself between her thighs.

He looked up into her lust filled eyes with an almost evil glint in his own, one she might have expected to see if he was about to torture someone, and take great pleasure in doing so. In a way, that was exactly what he was about to do.

"Good morning, Hermione." He said smoothly, his perfect composure only betrayed by the hardness she could see between his legs.

"Good morning, Luc—ah fuck!" She exclaimed as his tongue darted between her wet folds, flattening it against her and sweeping along her sex, chuckling slightly as he did. His hands came to grip her hips, preventing her from jerking upwards as she so greatly wished she could, wanting even more of the sensations he was giving her. Ron had tried to do this before but his efforts were extremely poor, not to mention rare in occurrence, and Hermione had never known such pleasure as what Lucius was able to make her feel with only a few touches.

He sucked hard on her clit, once again removing thought of anything other than him from her mind, and drawing a gasp from her. His tongue continued to lavish her and was soon joined by his fingers, delighting her at once again having part of him inside of her. His movements were slow, yet perfectly placed, the tension that was steadily building within her almost unbearable.

She looked down at the man between her legs and could have come right then and there purely at the sight of him. He was god like, his pale skin glowing in the sunlight and the muscles still present from his death eater days rippling as he held her to him. His hair was beautiful, as she had always thought it to be, ever since she had first met him in Flourish and Blotts all those years ago.

Back then she hadn't been able to believe that someone who looked like him, so like an angel, could be so evil, and that's why he had terrified her even more. On the rare occasions they had encountered each other in the past, she had feared him, yet there was always something about him that intruiged her. He had often caught her eye, always for a fraction longer than was necessary and she had always told herself she looked back out of pride and resentment. However, in more recent years she started to suspect it had been for a far different reason, and the fear she felt then to do with her own repressed desires.

There had been a fear within her the night before, one so much worse than the fear she had felt in her past. There was a fear that whatever there was between them would stop after that night, and there was a fear within her now, that he would stop what he was doing with his very talented appendages.

"I want to take you away this weekend." He said against her as he continued to lick and pump into her throbbing core.

It took her a moment to gather some coherent thoughts before she found the breath to reply. "That sounds lov-ah!-ely." She managed to get out as he curled his fingers sharply inside her. "But I said I'd go to the Weasleys tomorrow..."

He violently growled into her at the mention of the Weasleys, the sensations sending a fresh wave of her pleasure onto Lucius' hand which he greedily lapped up with a groan. "You will stay with me until then." He roughly commanded as he lightly grazed her clit with his teeth. She couldn't even begin to care that he was practically ordering her to do something, she would do anything for him when he made her feel like this.

She was close to release and Lucius clearly knew it. He increased his pace, his touches becoming more intense and powerful, bringing her so close to the edge that if he stopped she was sure she would die. "You are _mine_ , Hermione." He rumbled against her, and it was her undoing.

She clamped violently around his fingers and cried out his name. The explosion of her orgasm was electric as wave upon wave of pleasure broke over her. The room was starting to fade to black, as Lucius softly continued to lap up her orgasm, humming lowly to himself as he enjoyed the result of his work.

"Inside me.…now Lucius." She all but begged through laboured breaths.

He let out a moan which sounded very much like relief, and he postioned himself between her legs, the head of his aching cock nudging at her entrance as her head rolled back in ecstasy. He pushed himself into her still fluttering passage with a stifled moan, swearing under his breath. He slowly began to fuck her back into the conscious world, his thrusts much less controlled than they had been the night before but no less purposeful.

Lucius skilfully worked her towards her second orgasm, his lips playing with her nipples in movements timed perfectly with his thrusts. He could barely hold back any longer, but wanted them to come together, so he placed a thumb on her clit and she screamed out her pleasure as her orgasm took her.

He continued to pump into her through her orgasm, trying to prolong her pleasure when she finally stilled she all but whispered "You are _mine_ , Lucius", and he exploded within her, his seed coming from him in thick, white hot bursts as they both shook in each other's arms.

"Always yours." He confirmed through shaky breaths.

"Always yours." She whispered back.

* * *

Hermione joined Lucius in his study where they were to use the portkey. She didn't know why they couldn't just apparate, but figured he must have a good reason. She found Lucius looking over some parchment when she got in, concentration etched upon his face. For someone so wealthy, Lucius seemed to work an awful lot, but then again, she supposed that was how he stayed wealthy.

Signing something at the bottom of a page in his fluid hand, he looked up and smiled at her, oh Merlin, she was starting to love his smiles, even the ones she would previously labeled as smirks.

"So, where's the portkey?" She enquired, not seeing any conspicuous object such as an old boot or other item that portkeys tended to be.

"Is it not obvious?" He replied, a question instead of an answer, smugness lining his tone.

"I assume that it is not exactly authorised by the ministry?" She guessed, not expecting Lucius of all people to have any qualms about breaking the law.

"Not exactly." He grinned as he mimicked her words. "It was created a long time ago, before the law was put in place, so technically speaking I don't think you would be breaking any rules" He mocked.

"It may surprise you, Mister Malfoy, that I've had plenty of practice at breaking the rules." She said as she reached up to kiss him, demonstrating her point quite nicely. It was supposed to be quick, as they'd already postponed leaving due to kisses going a little further than anticipated throughout the morning. When they went to the bathroom to shower, when they tried to leave Lucius' room to go to breakfast (for the second time), and next to a portrait in the corridor that she would now have to avoid walking past. So, it was with great difficulty that Hermione had to resist being backed slowly onto his desk.

"So... What is it?" She asked trying to distract them both, or it was likely they would never leave the Manor again.

He gestured to a beautiful and intricate black piece by the window. "The frame." Then he saw the question in her face, and continued, "It's my mother." before she could ask who the woman in the picture was.

She must have been no older than twenty, her hair was even fairer than Lucius' and the smile on her face was one Hermione had come to recognise far too well these last few weeks. Very little was known about Lucius' mother in the wizarding world, her first name wasn't even common knowledge, but Hermione could tell that she clearly meant a great deal to Lucius.

"Where was this taken?" She asked, noticing the ground was covered in snow. Lucius had been staring out the window to the grounds and it seemed to take him a few seconds to turn around.

"Ah, now, now. If I told you that, it would ruin the surprise." He teased, but the spirit in which his words were spoken did not reach his eyes. "Come, I will tell you once we are there."

He took her hand firmly in his and together they reached for the frame. She felt the familiar hook in her navel and before she knew it they were standing outside a building that rivalled Malfoy Manor by its' sheer magnificence. It was made from huge white stones, and seemed to be fused into the side of the mountain upon which it clung, a small path hugging the cliff appearing to be the only way in or out. Towers reached up into the sky, and large windows looked out to the valley below, onto streams winding their way through an ancient forest.

Hermione was, for the most part, speechless as Lucius led her through the grand entrance and through what she could only manage to describe as a castle. The décor was much lighter than at the manor, the walls white for the most part, but it was filled with similar items. Portraits and huge paintings hung on all the walls and every space filled with something strange, old or beautiful.

He seemed to be heading for somewhere specific, only stopping to point out objects or rooms of interest every now and again. After passing a striking, yet very surprising, statue of a lioness, they reached a simple door embedded into the rock of the mountain within the depths of the house.

"Open it." Lucius suggested softly as Hermione tentatively reached out to touch the handle, a look of anticipation in his eyes.

She did as she was asked, for once, and upon seeing what was through the door was sure her heart had stopped. Before her was an oval library on par in size with the ministry atrium. Pillars and alcoves surrounded the room and a powerful magic seemed to flow from the multitude of scrolls lining the walls.

Lucius appeared behind her, his hands around her waist as he supported her on her now somewhat shaky legs.

"Lucius" She breathed out softly, "What is this place?"

"This, Hermione, is what remains of the library of Alexandria."

* * *

Once Hermione had managed to collect herself, he led them over to the chairs which surrounded a large central column, doubling as a fire place.

"But the Library was burnt." Hermione stated, clearly perplexed as to what he was talking about.

"So it was, but not all of its contents were." He said in a tone even he had to admit sounded a little smug, earning him an eye roll from Hermione.

He then started to tell her the tale of the library and how he came to be in possession of some of the most rare and magical documents in history.

"The library of Alexandria contained many writings about our people, magic and spells. Writings, that if read by the wrong people, could have risked exposure and eradication of our world." He said in a serious tone. "So it was decided by a few of the wizarding elite of the time that the section of the library containing the pieces should be destroyed. The Fiendfyre curse was used, but it got out of hand...cast by an ancestor of Crabbe I expect." He sneered, his opinion of some of his old comrades and their useless offspring lower than they had ever been "And he ended up destroying the whole place."

"A witch by the name of Armiana was part of the mission. They say her power was beyond imagination, well that is how the story goes anyway, and in an effort to save the knowledge she cast a Protego Totalum of enormous power and effect." He continued proudly. He got to tell this story so rarely that he thoroughly enjoyed doing so when he had the opportunity.

"The spell only held for so long against the raging fire, but she managed to transport a large amount of the collection from the building before the fyre broke through her defences. The tale goes that she lost a leg in the fire, but the man who cast the Fiendfyre lost his life..." here, he paused for effect, "...from the killing curse that came from her wand." He smiled as Hermione giggled, she of all people appreciated a good story.

"Armiana told the others that her spell had failed, and the work was lost, and that is what the entire wizarding world believes to be true."

Lucius was mesmerized by the look on Hermione's face. She was so enthralled in his tale, and he knew the knowledge that this room held about both the muggle and wizarding past would delight her. He just knew it, which is exactly why he brought her here.

"Armiana brought the collection here, where she hid them in a cave on this mountain. Over the centuries, her descendants have built around this cave and accumulated vast amounts of wealth from using the knowledge they secretly possessed."

"Your mother was Armiana's descendant." Hermione cut in, her eyes lit up in excitement as she worked out the end of his story. "And so, you came to own this wonderful pace."

He smirked "How did you guess?"

"Oh, Lucius! This is incredible, thank you for bringing me here." She said as she climbed into his lap and kissed him.

Lucius wanted to take her right then and there. So he did. He didn't have to hold back around her anymore, especially not here, and he planned to take full advantage of it.

* * *

Once her clothes were back on - after she'd fixed the ripped ones that was, Hermione set about exploring the library. Naturally, she wanted to look at the scrolls about the muggle world, but the sheer magical energy coming from the ones on wizardry made them much more tempting.

Lucius and she spent the entire day reading what the library held, and discussing the castle and it's origins. It had belonged to his mother's family, her name was Azadene, Hermione discovered, and Azadene being the only heir, had passed it on to him. It turned out the castle was located in a sparsely populated part of northern Sweden, where the family originated from, and that Lucius could speak Swedish.

"So are you any good at it?" Hermione asked.

He gave her a look that seemed to say 'isn't it obvious' but simply replied with a polite "Naturally."

He accepted that the pillow subsequently thrown at him was somewhat deserved.

"I speak it fluently." He continued, unperturbed by the pillow incident "I even managed to persuade another pureblood family here to let me employ Lika with my linguistic talents."

"Didn't you already have enough house elves?" Hermione asked sceptically, Dobby still a bit of a sore spot for her.

"The laws on the treatment of houseelves in Sweden are practically non-existent and they were treating her very poorly. They didn't want to part with her as she was excellent at her job but with a bit of persuasion, and quite a lot of gold I have to admit, they parted ways with her. She took very well to the Manor, and surprsingly enough to me, she even asked me to give her a new name as her old one reminded her of her past."

"You have her the name Lika?"

"Yes, she was most pleased with it." He said in a tone that she could not place, was it regret?

They went back to their reading and Hermione made a mental note to find out if Lika meant anything later, curious as to why Lucius spoke of her in that way.

* * *

"Do you come here often?" She asked as they sat in the library after dinner, the room lit only by the soft glow of the central fire.

"I did once upon a time. As a child, my mother would bring me here around this time of year. As my father was often preoccupied with work, it would just be the two of us." He reminisced. "She never told him about the library, and, until I truly began to understand his selfish nature, I could never understand why."

"So, it was our secret and we used to spend hours in here on cold winter days reading and laughing." He finished with a sigh.

"That sounds wonderful." Hermione smiled, absent-mindedly stroking circles on top of his chest as she listened.

"It was. I fear I would not be half the man I am without her and our times here." He smiled, but she could hear the sadness in his voice.

"As I grew up, however, mother and I started to visit less and less, with my father insisting that I spend more time with him, learning to manage the estate. They never loved each other you see, not even my birth seemed to instil any feelings of affection between them as it often does in organised marriages. I think it took a great toll on her that he was so distant and uncaring."

"When I took the dark mark, I changed. I was scared and I put on this mask of anger and I became unfeeling. My mother started to deteriorate, the one joy in her life slowly leaving her." He said in shame. "One day, after the Dark Lord had made me do some truly terrible things, apparently a punishment of sorts for my father's failings, I came home distraught, and as pathetic as it sounds, all I wanted to do was to see my mother, someone who I did not have to hide my feelings from."

"I searched the house for her and found her room empty, the frame knocked on the floor, and I knew where she had gone."

"Was the picture the same as it is now?" Hermione asked.

"No, the picture was of myself as a child, standing in front of the library doors."

"Why did you change it?"

He was silent for a while, as if he wasn't quite sure himself as to the answer.

"She died." Lucius said, his voice empty of all emotions other than regret. "Voldemort's punishment of my father did not end with me. He had come to the house and tortured her in front of my Father, and he did nothing." He said, anger rising in him.

"She went to the picture, and fled to her sanctuary. I followed, but I was too late. I found her in this very room, and tried to save her, but it was as if she had given up trying."

Hermione put her hand over his, and held it tight, she knew there were no words that could help.

"Her last words to me were 'be brave', and it has killed me every day since that I was not."

He was struggling to contain his feelings but pushed on, seemingly needing to finish telling her. "So, I changed the picture to one of her, one where she was happy and smiling, so that I would never let myself forget that I had failed her. Every time I reached for the picture, I would be brought here, to remind me of her. It was not until when serving the Dark Lord almost got my own family killed that I finally understood why she had wanted me to be brave."

"Another word for bravery, is often stupidity." Hermione said as she looked into his eyes, pain and happiness seeming to fight for dominance within them. "And you, Lucius, are anything but stupid."

"But I-" He started to protest before being interrupted by Hermione, her eyes afire.

"No Lucius, for your whole life you have been in situations where bravery would have killed both yourself and your family, and, despite what you may think, your choices in the end were the right ones."

"You had to cope with so much in your life, Lucius. Unattainable expectation from a tyrannical father and society, time in the darkest cells of Azkaban and a mad man breathing down your neck, holding your family hostage. It would be very hard for anyone to remain brave through all of that."

They sat in silence for a while, Lucius trying to understand her words, his feelings of guilt and shame preventing him from accepting any forgiveness. As they sat, Hermione slowly looked around the room as she held Lucius' hand, deciding what to read next, when her eye caught something hidden under a shelf.

She got up and padded over to the curious object, pulling what looked to be a Hogwarts trunk out from the darkness. It was very dusty but she could see glimmers of gold coming through and couldn't quite believe what she saw when she wiped it clean. The crest of Gryffindor.

"My mothers'." Lucius said, standing right behind her, his ability to move so silently surprising her. "She was in Gryffindor, somewhat surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, as the case may have been, but my father was less than happy about it, so she kept all evidence of her school days here.

"What's inside?" Hermione asked curiously, finding that it was unlocked, but not wanting to intrude on something that he would rather keep to himself.

"Nothing too interesting actually, her old uniform and trinkets from her school days. Oh, and we also put a couple of scrolls in there that we made replicas of."

"Why would you replicate them?" She asked.

"Well, we didn't want to risk ever losing the original pieces, and, besides, there are some very powerful charms on the room to prevent anything being removed from it. However, my mother would occasionally want to give pieces to people she cared about, and when we made replicas, we put the originals in here, so that we wouldn't forget which ones we had given away. You can have a look if you like." He suggested, seeing the burning curiosity in her eyes.

Opening the trunk, she found several interesting, but fairly harmless looking pieces, and sat down to read them. Lucius made his way back to the fire and simply stared into it, his mind still clearly elsewhere.

It wasn't until Hermione picked up the seventh scroll that one of them spoke again.

"Andromeda?" She questioned aloud, so shocked was she to see her friends name on the scroll.

"What?" He asked, rather distractedly.

"There is a scroll here that was given to Andromeda."

"Ah yes, I remember. Narcissa was very sad when she and I were married, due to her family disowning her big sister. So, I suggested we offer her something as a sign of good faith, to show her that we still cared. Something from the library seemed the obvious choice."

"That was very….sweet, of you." She said, struggling somewhat to use the word 'sweet' to describe Lucius. "Did you bring Narcissa here to choose one?"

"Yes, it seemed fitting, she was a good woman and I trusted her completely, I am sure our family, and I, would not have survived if not for her. "

"You must miss her." was all Hermione could say in reply.

"Occasionally, but only as the companion she became, nothing more. It was time for us to part and I am glad that it happened on good terms."

Hermione was secretly happy at his words. She had always admired Narcissa and her strength but did not think she could, or would want to, come between the two blondes if they had truly been in love.

She was very interested in the scroll that Andromeda had been given, curious as to what Lucius and Narcissa thought would be appropriate, and began to read through it quickly.

It was a work on charms and other such spells to protect oneself, which given Andromedas circumstances at the time made sense. Protecting a home, protecting yourself in a battle and, what caught Hermione's attention the most, protecting your secrets.

She scanned through the scroll, searching for the words she so hoped to see, and there they were, near the bottom.

_'Only those who know what they seek will find it.'_


	14. A Peculiar Twist of Fate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I've had lots of exams on and they've only just finished.
> 
> Note: for any one who doesn't know, the Sacred Twenty-Eight are the 28 British families to still be considered pure-blood.
> 
> Thanks to kaycross1184 for pointing out the giant gaping plot hole in this chapter, which hopefully I have now fixed!
> 
> Beta'd by Mari681.

Hermione paced in front of Lucius, frantically reading the scroll she had found and mumbling to herself.

"Ah-ha!" She shouted out in triumph, "I've found it."

"What does it say?" He questioned, curious to see what had got her so worked up.

"It's talking about an old protection charm, a spell which requires anyone trying to break it to fulfil certain conditions, just as I suspected, and…oh damn it!" She cried out, "Well this is just hopeless."

"What, Hermione?" He asked in concern, hating to see her joy at finding a lead in her case so quickly taken away.

"It's the condition, it's truly ridiculous." She sighed, coming to sit down next to Lucius who promptly put his arm around her. "It says that only people who know what is in the box, in this case, the identity of Andromeda's child, will be able to open it and confirm what they know."

"Well, that does make life a bit difficult, doesn't it." Lucius said, matter of factly. "But, hopefully, the polyjuice will provide you with what you're looking for." He suggested, trying to lift her spirits.

"Hopefully… either that, or I'll lose a leg." She joked, and Lucius pulled her tighter to him, pleased that he had managed to cheer her up.

"So, is it Andromeda who you're working on this case for?" He asked, surprised at himself for not working it out sooner, but, then again, his mind had been preoccupied with acquiring Hermione, so naturally he hadn't thought about it all that much.

"Yes, the case is for Andromeda, it's probably no use hiding it now." She sighed. "Did giving Andromeda this scroll help salvage her relationship with Narcissa?" She asked, clearly trying to change the subject.

"At first...Yes, they remained close for several years, but once the Dark Lord truly started to do his worst, with Bellatrix at his side, no less, Andromeda became more distant. I think Narcissa blamed me in a way - it was my association with the madman that was the tipping point, and we rarely heard from her again." He said with regret. "You know what's odd?"

"What?" Hermione asked sleepily, it had been a long, exciting day and naturally she was pretty tired.

"Andromeda and I used to be on rather good terms, she often helped me when I was courting Narcissa…she used to be such a sweet girl." He reminisced.

"Used to be?" Hermione asked, propping herself up on the sofa in interest.

"Well, after the whole incident with Longbottom and her sister, it was no surprise that she toughened up and abandoned her family."

He would have expected Hermione to fight what he had said about Andromeda abandoning her family, especially because most believed she had been disowned, but she seemed to have more pressing questions at hand.

"Longbottom? I thought what Bellatrix did to him happened after Andromeda left?"

"This is a much earlier incident. One which I expect fuelled the barbaric torture of the Longbottoms." He sneered, the acts of his comrades, his so-called family, on that night was sickening even to him.

"The Longbottoms, as you probably are aware, are one of the Sacred Twenty Eight, and so, Frank was engaged to Bellatrix, Rodolphus Lestrange to Andromeda."

"Rodolphus and Andromeda were engaged?!" Hermione asked, shock written on her face.

"Yes, and very happily, if I may say so myself. It was one of the rare few betrothals where love actually played a part."

"They were in love?" Hermione questioned, still clearly not believing it could be possible.

"Oh yes, very much so. Rodolphus was completely smitten with her. He used to be a much gentler, kinder man than he is now, the man he turned into not shortly after what happened."

"What happened?" Hermione asked warily.

"Frank fell in love with Alice, abandoned his engagement to Bellatrix and left. This left Bellatrix in a rage - I think she was already losing her mind at this point, which made it all the worse. To quell her anger, her mother deemed it appropriate that she should marry Rodolphus instead, the respectable pure-blood wizard he was."

"But surely he couldn't break off his engagement with Andromeda?" Hermione challenged, the story seeming to be steadily enraging her.

"You'd think so, but in pure-blood society, marrying the oldest available offspring is the proper thing to do. His family would have surely disowned him, had he not agreed."

"That's just... horrid!" Hermione exclaimed, before continuing. "I can't believe they were forced to do that. I feel so bad for Andromeda… As for Frank - I can believe that any sane man would try and work his way out of an engagement with Bellatrix, but it's so horrible that it led him to such a terrible fate."

"Indeed, who knew that an act of love, and following ones' heart, could end in so much sorrow." He said somberly, realising that perhaps Hermione had been right about him being brave in a different way. Perhaps, by not doing what he knew to be righteous, he had saved himself and those he loved.

He tried to shake the thought away, he promised he would never forgive himself for what he had done, he did not feel he had earned the right, so he carried on with his tale, trying to distract himself.

"Narcissa told me Andromeda couldn't take seeing the man she loved with her sister, and so left her family for a muggle, to show them just how much she resented them. Rodolphus was furious, and it truly broke him. I believe that is when his hatred of all muggles and muggle-borns started, the day he lost the woman he loved to one."

"That's so awful, I can't believe I feel bad for him after losing her."

"I wouldn't feel too sorry for him, Cissa used to say he never truly lost her."

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked dubiously.

"Rumour has it that Andromeda and Rodolphus would meet occasionally, long after they were both married, even after she had Nymphadora I hear. Although, if whispers can be believed, she stopped seeing him nearer the end of the war, around 1979 if memory serves me correctly, probably on account of his deteriorating moral state. You know, she loved Ted, but I think she loved Rodolphus even more, regardless of the monster he had become, and I believe Ted accepted that and didn't mind her seeing Rodolphus, despite what the two were most likely doing together." He sighed, Andromeda's story not a particularly happy one.

Seconds passed in silence, and when not hearing any reaction from Hermione, he turned to look at her.

She was pale, brow furrowed and her eyes wide.

"What is it?" He asked, gently taking her face in his palms. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

"Rodolphus…" She said, as if she couldn't comprehend something. "I can't believe it."

* * *

It couldn't be could it? Rodolphus couldn't be the father of Andromeda's child?

But it made too much sense didn't it. She stopped seeing him in 1979, the year Andromeda's child was said to be born, it was the only logical conlcusion. Rodolphus had been mad, what would he do when he found out the woman he loved was having a child, his child, that would be kept away from him. Andromeda couldn't risk Rodolphus finding out about it, never mind Bellatrix, who knows what he would have done.

It was strange to think, that had the child been born through marriage, that it would have been one of the pure-blood elite, a Lestrange-Black, fathered by one of the most powerful of the deatheaters. How cruel the twists of fate could be.

She was broken from her thoughts when Lucius asked her quite seriously "What is it exactly you're doing for Andromeda?" seeming to have worked out what he had just told her and the case were connected.

Should she tell him? It wasn't as if he was still in contact with Rodolphus, and she trusted him, more than she cared to believe.

Hermione calmly began to tell Lucius what was really going on with her case, up until now, he had only known what she needed to do, not why.

He sat there listening, his face perfectly composed, but his eyes told a different tale, one of confusion, his mind clearly struggling with something.

Lucius said all the right things, not letting on what was bothering him and Hermione thought she must have imagined it, he was probably just surprised at what she had to say. He agreed with her that Rodolphus must be the child's father, and that he did not blame Andromeda for doing what she did with the child. Rodolphus had truly become a monster, and if his torture of Frank Longbottom, the man who had started the unfortunate chain of events, was anything to go by, his need for revenge had led him to do some horrific things.

They were tired, so he led her up to their bedroom in one of the castle towers. He was not too tired, however, to take her three times before she fell asleep, distracting her mind from all thoughts about Lucius' strange reaction to her tale…

* * *

Hermione was soundly asleep in his arms, her warm frame tight against his own, and no matter how exhausted he was, both physically and emotionally, his mind would not stop racing.

It was the only logical conclusion, and he was surprised Hermione hadn't worked it out yet.

Andromeda, the wild brown curls of the Black sisters.

Rodolphus, one of the most powerful and intelligent wizards Lucius had ever met.

A child who would have been raised as a muggle-born, one whom would have been in his own sons year at Hogwarts.

How had she not worked it out yet? He supposed one would not think of one's self in this situation, or perhaps wouldn't want to.

It all started to make sense now. The way she had reminded him of Bellatrix when he had first encountered her at Hogwarts, the magical ability that was truly outstanding, her ruthless determination to do what she thought was right.

It was not hard to believe that the woman in his arms was the child of two of the greatest wizarding families in their world.

He almost laughed at how ludicrous the situation was. Here he was, falling for a girl he had believed to be muggle-born, only to find out that she was one of the pure-blood elite.

Strangely, it did not make him think that his beliefs had been right, that only pure-bloods could be such brilliant witches such as she, but, that he'd been so wrong to judge someone on a label they were given, and not by who they truly were.

Had he been able to look past his prejudice, had he not passed them onto his son, his family may not have inflicted so much damage onto her in her youth. Draco may even have come to like her, she would have made a very suitable match had they not been so focused on bloodlines.

He found himself not liking the thought much, Hermione was his now and he didn't want to think about her with anyone else, especially not his own son. Besides, technically speaking, Draco was her cousin by blood, and he had never been a fan of the inbreeding some families seemed to do to keep their blood pure. He however, shared no blood with her at all, and he had never been happier of his mother's Swedish heritage.

He did not know how Hermione would react when she found out the truth, it would be such an enormous thing to realise. Not only would she find out her parents were not so by blood, but also that her true father was a murderous death eater. Then again, so was he, and she'd come to care for him.

Oh, who was he trying to kid? Rodolphus and he were nothing alike. Hermione could never feel anything other than hatred towards the man. He was pure, albeit somewhat deranged, evil.

Lucius pulled her even more tightly against him protectively at the thought of Rodolphus and what he might have done to her if he had ever found out. He buried his face into her curls, smiling at the minty smell that seemed to follow her around.

Lucius knew that he must let her find out on her own, that was the only way she could ever truly believe and accept it. He could not invent a story, lead her away from the truth or prolong her discovery, she would find out eventually. All he could do was be there and help her through the emotional turmoil that would undoubtedly ensue her revelation.

It was with a heavy heart that Lucius eventually fell asleep that night, with the knowledge that he could do nothing to stop Hermione from feeling the pain that he knew she would.

* * *

The next morning, they had had breakfast on a large balcony overlooking the valley, after which Hermione insisted on going to the library one last time, leaving Lucius to read the morning paper, one which had made it's way over from England she couldn't help but notice.

She quickly found the section she was looking for and pulled out a book translating Swedish to English. Flicking to the L section her eyes scoured over the page until she found the word she was looking for.

Hermione returned to Lucius who was now staring out at the surrounding mountains, the same pensive look on his face that had been there all morning.

"Now don't you look like the Cheshire cat." He commented upon seeing the wide smile plastered on her face.

"You know about the Cheshire cat?" She asked surprised, she knew he was very well read, but didn't expect him to have read many muggle novels.

"Of course, Lewis Carroll is a very good writer, naturally I've read his works." He said in a somewhat insulted tone, and she chastised herself for letting her stereotypical beliefs about the man get the better of her.

Noticing her saddened face his softened his own "So what's the big smile for."

"Oh, nothing." She said somewhat unconvincingly "I'm just really happy to be here."

"Mhmm." Lucius sighed in a jovial tone, clearly happy to play along with her as he returned to staring out the balcony.

For several minutes, they both watched the light snow start to fall from the sky and Hermione huddled against Lucius' side as the cold wind blew against them.

"So, does the name Lika mean anything?" Hermione asked as nonchalantly as she could, which knowing her acting skills, was not very well. She felt Lucius stiffen slightly against her but he answered as smoothly as ever, his tone much more believable than her own.

"Not that I am aware, it just sounded pretty. I thought she would like it."

She squeezed his hand which was now wrapped in her own and smiled at how stubborn he was, even when admitting he'd done something nice.

"Yes Lucius" She agreed, "I'm sure she liked it very much."

She paused for a couple of seconds for dramatic effect, a talent she may have borrowed from the man next to her.

"It really was good of you to give her such a lovely name, and to give her her freedom. To treat her as an _equal_ …" She said smiling as Lucius' cheeks began to redden and a short, low laugh escaped his lips.

"I suppose I'm learning more about being equal every day." He said in an unexpectedly serious tone. "It is something I wish I had learned about much sooner." He sighed as he kissed her softly on the forehead.

"Come, it is time we went home."

* * *

They had barely been back ten seconds when there was a loud pop outside the study and a very urgent sounding knock was heard at the door.

"Yes." Said Lucius, his brows furrowed in confusion.

In came Lika, looking fairly panic stricken, her normally calm, happy face gone.

"What is it Lika?" Asked Lucius, clearly struggling to maintain his usually confident demeanour.

"Many letters have come for you from the aurors, and several have been here looking for you." She said quickly, her arms outstretched with the letters in question.

Hermione's heart dropped in her chest as she thought that the aurors had come for Lucius, worried about what they thought he'd done, but when he reached out to take the papers, she was surprised when Lika stopped him.

"No, no." She protested "They're for Miss Granger."

Lucius and Hermione looked at each other at the same time, both clearly confused.

Hermione grabbed the top letter and opened it, gasping when she read the words.

"What is it?" Lucius asked, seeming much more worried than she would have expected, almost as if he already knew what was written there. Something was definitely bothering him, it had been since last night, but she couldn't think what it could possibly be.

"It's my house." She said sombrely as she passed him the letter.

"The death eaters paid it a visit."


	15. A Slap in the Face

Hermione and Lucius appeared outside the front door of her house with a pop and quickly released the strong hold they'd had on each other whilst apparating, Hermione already missing the feel of Lucius pressed up against her.

Almost immediately Harry was at the door, greeted with the two standing a respectable distance apart, not looking suspicious in the slightest.

"Oh thank Merlin you're here Hermione." He said as he embraced her in a hug, "And you, um, brought Malfoy with you." He added, noticing the now contemptuous looking Lucius at her side.

"Lu-Mr. Ma|foy" She said, catching herself before she called him by his first name, "Insisted on accompanying me to see the damage."

"Yes," Lucius agreed, "I wanted to see what level of destruction I might expect should whoever did this discover Miss Granger was staying at the Manor." He added, playing so well the part of selfish aristocrat that, no doubt, Harry expected of him.

"I see. Well I wouldn't be surprised if people work it out now that you're here with her, what will all the aurors think?" Harry asked with a sneer, not that he was very good at it, clearly trying to get the upper hand in the situation.

"Naturally, they'll assume I'm assisting you, having been something of a consultant for your department on these matters in the past." Lucius said in a patronising tone that even Harry didn't seem capable to argue with. "Anyway, if you're quite done questioning my presence, I'm sure Miss Granger would like to see the inside of her house."

Harry looked as if he had quite a few things he'd like to say but, keeping his mouth shut, gestured them inside.

The place was a mess. Furniture lay broken and strewn about the room, some of the walls were burnt and the windows smashed. Most of the damage was, surprisingly, superficial and could be easily fixed, the perpetrators most likely doing it to send a message. It was obvious to Hermione that whoever did this had been looking for something as all the drawers and cupboards were wide open and their contents spread about the room. What upset Hermione the most however, were the books which had been thrown from their very specific places on her shelves and now lay in various states of disarray around to floor.

They got a few strange looks as they walked about the house as the aurors investigating the damage noticed Lucius following behind Harry and her. Said aurors, however, soon got back to work when Lucius' icy eyes wandered in their direction. The authority that seemed to flow from him caused a wave of desire to rush through Hermione, who now couldn't wait for them all to leave so that she could have her way with him.

Once they'd walked through the house, Harry sat them down in the front room to go over what they knew.

"They appeared to be searching for something, but I couldn't say what. I'd guess, most likely, a clue to your current location. It doesn't look like they took anything, but I suppose you'll be a better judge of that than me, and most of the damage should be reversible. We suspect Avery played a part, and by the looks of things he probably had several accomplices." He said in a business like tone, but quickly reverted back to the friend she knew and loved.

"I'm… I'm just so relieved that you weren't here Hermione. I don't even want to think about what might have happened to you." He admitted as he took her hands in his own, causing Lucius' perfectly composed features to falter into a momentary frown. "Come to think of it, where were you Hermione? I've been trying to contact you since last night and when I went to the Manor it was empty."

She'd been thinking of an answer to this question as they'd inspected the damage so she lied easily, and surprisingly, without guilt. "Malfoy had some business to do abroad, which according to him could not be postponed," She said in an attempt to continue the façade that she still despised Lucius as much as everyone expected her to, "and I didn't feel comfortable being in that house alone" She added, knowing Harry would assume it was the memories of her torture that would make her feel that way. "So, he begrudgingly agreed to me accompanying him. Sorry for not letting you know Harry, it was pretty short notice and I didn't get the chance."

"It's okay, Hermione, I completely understand. Are you sure you're still okay staying there?" He asked with concern in his eyes, clearly she had played being unnerved by being in the Manor a little too well.

"Oh no, I'll be fine. Besides, I'm pretty sure the wards at the Manor will hold up far better than the ones here should anyone come looking for me." She said, hoping it would dissuade Harry from trying to separate her from Lucius.

Harry's green eyes looked questioningly into Lucius' grey ones, which were now rolling in exasperation at the boys clear need for some sort of confirmation.

"Do not worry yourself . The only person to ever break through the protections at the Manor is dead and gone, at your hand no less, so you have nothing to fear. No harm will come to Hermione in my home, I can assure you." He said smoothly, the words clearly appeasing Harry's doubts, and causing Hermione's heart to beat a little faster as she realised the last words were directed towards her.

"Good." Harry said with an appreciative nod. "Right, well, the aurors are pretty much done investigating, so we'll be out of here in a few minutes. I can stay for a while and help repair the damage if you like, but I've got to get back to the Burrow soon to help set up for tonight."

"Oh yes, I'd completely forgotten about the party…"

"You're still coming aren't you? Ron, I mean, we'd all, be really disappointed if you didn't." Harry said apprehensively, his words causing Lucius' grip on the arm of his chair to tighten, his knuckles white, at the mention of Ron. His clear jealousy and possessiveness might have annoyed some, but if anything, it just made Hermione want him more, he was hers, and she was his, she knew nothing would change that.

"I'll think about it Harry, it depends how fast I can get this place cleared up." She said half-heartedly, her desire to go to the Burrow fairly diminished after the weekend's events.

He looked like he might protest but he knew better than to push it. "Alright, well I'll just leave you to it then." He said a little dejectedly as he stood to leave "Actually, it's probably not a good idea for me to leave you here alone. The attackers might return. Shall I instruct an auror to stay?"

Before Hermione got the chance to protest Lucius spoke, his voice full of authority "Don't worry, I shall stay with Miss Granger, and, I assure you, that I am more equipped than any of your aurors could be when it comes to dealing with these people."

"And why on Earth would you offer to do that?" Harry questioned coldly, clearly taking offence at Lucius' subtle, or not so subtle, jab at his aurors.

Lucius stood from the chair, now towering over Harry with his impressive height "Despite what you may think, Potter, I am not quite as monstrous as many would like to believe." He said, in a tone that would make most shake in their boots. "Besides, I'm sure Miss Granger has an impressive library, and this seems like the perfect opportunity to have a thorough look through her collection." He added for good measure, he too wanting to distract from the true nature of his relationship with her.

Harry tried to stand his ground but, looking suitably abashed, backed down and mumbled his thanks and goodbyes as he left the room to round up his aurors, Lucius' words clearly giving him a lot to think about.

Lucius and she stood there in silence for some time as the aurors left the house, Lucius staring out the window whilst Hermione started to put some of the books back in their places.

She heard the front door shut, all the aurors now gone, and within seconds Lucius was upon her. He spun her around, pressing her against the wall. The blonde pinned her arms above her head with one of his hands, the other held tightly at her waist. His eyes burnt into her own, the desire and lust she saw in them undoubtedly mirrored in her own.

A low moan escaped her as his lips descended hungrily on her own, his kiss forceful and demanding. It was as if both of them needed to confirm they were still each other's. Harry's protectiveness and the mention of Ron driving Lucius to claim her as his again, a desire she was more than willing to help him with.

Hermione wrapped her legs around his waist and ground her hips against his, whimpering as she brushed against his steel hard length. Lucius was wasting no time and vanished their clothes with a flick of his wand, closing the curtains and locking the doors with another.

His hand travelled down her hip, nails lightly scarping her skin as he went, where he roughly parted her wet folds and pinched her clit. She bit his lip in pleasure causing him to growl and surge straight into her to the hilt, easily sliding into her dripping heat.

She gasped at being full with him again, it was a feeling she would never be able to get enough of, they fit each other so perfectly. He ground into her in hard, long strong strokes, rolling his hips each time, his hand on her arse, pulling her even closer to him.

Hermione wanted to wrap her arms around him, hold him to her, but her hands were still firmly held above her head so all she could to was rock her hips against his to get more of the friction she so desperately needed. Lucius chuckled while he mercilessly pounded into her as he noticed her struggle, changing the angle of his thrusts so that he brushed her clit with each one.

She clamped her pussy around him every time he moved out of her, gripping his cock and causing a guttural groan to come from him. His pace started to quicken, the grip on her arse surely hard enough to leave bruises, but she couldn't bring herself to care, all she could focus on was the burning pleasure he was giving her with each forceful rock of his hips.

Her whole body started to quiver as she felt her orgasm approaching and she frantically ground herself into Lucius, pulling him even deeper within her. He pulled almost all the way out of her and then rammed in again, hitting her g-spot as he did. She screamed as she clamped violently around him, so loudly she barely heard the string of curses spill from Lucius' mouth as he came hard inside her, continuing to fuck her through her orgasm.

* * *

They both slowed until they were panting against each other, their sweat sheened bodies still tightly pressed together. Lucius released her arms and she collapsed against him, her shaking legs falling to the ground, and he reluctantly removed himself from her still pulsing core.

Hermione looked beautiful as she remained in his arms, languidly kissing his neck as his hands ran over her soft curves, soothing her quivering body.

"Hermione." He hummed, loving the feel of her warmth under his fingertips, the way she smiled as he said her name.

They stayed that way for a while, just holding and kissing one another until the December chill caused them to pull apart and dress.

Once their clothes were back in place they got to work, neither mentioning what had just occurred between them, each knowing that no words were needed to explain what had happened, they each understood the other.

Lucius could tell that she was having an inner conflict about going to the Weasleys by the look of contemplation on her face whilst she worked. He knew she wouldn't go if he asked her not to, but, he didn't want her to miss out on anything because of him. Even if it was going to the Weasleys home.

He had heard about what had transpired between Hermione and Ron at the ministry and, even back then, had thought the boy had behaved atrociously. Hermione had told him everything about what had happened between her and the boy whilst they had been in Sweden and Lucius was sure that if he saw the imbecile any time soon he would undoubtedly hex him into St. Mungos.

"You should go." He said softly, breaking the silence.

"You want me to go?" She asked, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"No, I don't want you to go, but, I don't want to stop you going should you desire to."

Hermione smiled sweetly at him, a look of adoration in her eyes. "To be honest I'd much rather stay here with you." She sighed as she walked over and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But Harry would be so disappointed if I didn't go, as would quite a few others I expect, so I probably should. Who knows, maybe I'll have fun." She mused.

"Mmm, maybe you will." He said as he kissed her softly, loving the way she melted against him as he did. "I can stay here and continue sorting out this mess."

She looked about to protest but he beat her to it "Who knows, maybe I'll have fun" He said, mimicking her words "Besides, I was not stretching the truth all that far when I told Mr. Potter I wanted to look through your library." He admitted.

"It was rather convincing." She conceded as she kissed him again "But, before we both go and have fun, maybe we could have some more together." She said in a sultry tone, taking his hand and leading him up the stairs to her bedroom. A plan he was all too happy with.

* * *

The party was in full swing when Hermione got to the Burrow, music was playing and the place was cosy, homemade Christmas decorations on every available space. It was packed with people, some she didn't recognise, but many she did. Luna and Neville were there, as were many of their other friends from Hogwarts, and, Hermione wasn't sure, but she thought she saw the platinum blonde locks of Draco Malfoy leaving a room.

He and Harry had become close since the war, so it wasn't peculiar that he had been invited, or in fact, that he had accepted. Draco was one of Kingleys most senior aides, so he liased with Harry frequently and they had become closer through their work. They had bonded over the way the war had affected each of them, in different ways, but equally as deeply. Draco and he had shared quite a few interests too, such as quidditch, they had both been seekers after all, and it was strange to think that had they not been blinded by their hatred for each other that they might have been good friends at Hogwarts. Ron hadn't taken too kindly to the friendship, but now that he had lost Hermione as a friend, he probably didn't have much choice but to grin and bare it.

She was surprised to see Draco here tonight though, as Lucius had told her he was abroad for the month with the Minister and visiting his mother at her estate on Lake Como. He must have really wanted to be here and Hermione couldn't help but wonder why.

She bumped into Harry not long after walking through the front door. He greeted her heartily and proceeded to haul her through the cramped rooms to say hello to everyone, most of whom she had to admit she hadn't seen in far too long. The Weasleys all welcomed her warmly, perhaps a little too enthusiastically Hermione thought, and she had her suspicions that there were motives other than friendliness behind their actions.

It had been fairly obvious since Ron had invited her to the party that it wasn't because he missed her friendship and felt remorse for his actions. From what she'd heard, Ron had spent the last year alone, his treatment of Hermione warding off any witches who might have previously shared an interest him. Even Lavender Brown had left him after she found out he had still been with Hermione the night they slept together, apparently slapping him before she left if the rumours could be believed, and Hermione couldn't help but feel a little smug about it.

It was almost painfully awkward the way he followed her around like a lost dog the whole night, trying to get her attention which she was less than willing to give him. On the rare occasion she was left with no one to talk to he would start blabbing away about his achievements, which were few and far between by the sounds of things, many of his recountings clearly highly embellished in an attempt to try and impress her. Not once did he ask her about how she'd been, what work she was doing. Not that she would have likely told him much anyway.

She'd had a lovely evening on the whole, talking with Ginny about the wedding, hearing all about Neville's job as herbology professor at Hogwarts and Hermione was pleased that she'd come. Clearly Harry hadn't told anyone about the attack on her house, or in fact that she wasn't staying in her house at all, as no one asked her anything about it. It was likely that Harry was trying to keep her safe instead or preventing anyone from asking her awkward questions, but she appreciated the gesture none the less. It wasn't until most people were gone that Ron managed to catch her alone in the kitchen, the rest of the family busy saying goodbye to their guests.

"Hey 'Mione, feels like I've barely had the chance to talk to you all night." He slurred as he came to stand in front of her, much closer than she would have liked, the smell of cheap liquor on his breath.

"You've been with me most of the night Ronald, if you can remember." She jabbed "Besides, there were lots of friends I wanted to talk to tonight, many I haven't seen in a while."

"Yeah…but, you and I are more than friends aren't we 'Mione." He said as he took a wonky step closer, almost tripping over his own feet. He never could handle his alcohol, he was such an embarrassment to himself and Hermione couldn't believe that she had ever felt anything towards the moron.

"I believe you mean barely friends _Ronald_ " She stressed his name before continuing "I haven't forgiven you. I'm here because Harry and Charlie wanted me to come, and I wanted to try and make amends with the rest of your family."

He clearly didn't like what she said as he began to frown and his tone turned spiteful "Whatever you say 'Mione, I know you're here because no one else will have you, you must be so sad without me, all alone, I bet you spend all your time looking for another man but I'm the best you'll ever get, so I knew you'd come crawling back, that's why you're really here isn't it."

She slapped him, hard, right across the face, nearly knocking him over with the force. How could the boy be so delusional, even in his drunken state it was almost unbelievable.

"Screw you Ron." She said, her voice calm but filled with an underlying rage "I have other aims in my life than to find a man, how dare you assume that my number one priority in life is to do so, and fuck you for insulting me further by suggesting I would chose you."

"As…as if you'd have any choice" He fumbled, his confidence gone "Who else would put up with you?" He taunted.

She was about to tell him exactly who would have her, a man who was worth so much more than him in every way imaginable, but was grateful when the chance to say what would have most likely been regrettable was taken away from her.

"Shut it Weasley." A strong voice called from the doorway. Hermione was surprised to see Draco standing there, as talented as his father at moving silently and unnoticed it would seem.

"Yeah right, like I'm going to listen to you, Malfoy." Ron sneered.

Suddenly his eyes widened in surprise, looking out the window behind her. "What the bloody hell is that?!"

They all turned to see a large pair of white wings flying towards the window, the bird landing gracefully despite its great size on the window ledge. The creature, which was clearly not an owl, pecked loudly on the glass and looked down its beak as Ron reached over to open the window. Now seeing it in the light, Hermione recognised it as a harpy eagle, a skilful and powerful flyer, and she suspected she knew who the owner of such an animal would be.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she saw the look of recognition and confusion etched on Draco's face, and the fact that the bird pecked at Ron's hand quite violently when he tried to take the letter, causing him to swear as the blood started to flow from his fingers.

"Bloody bird." He mumbled as he sat down in a chair, almost missing it and hitting the floor in his drunken state.

Noticing her name written gracefully on the letter she reached forward cautiously. Much to her relief, the eagle handed her the paper without any trouble, bowing its head slightly towards her and then to Draco. She stroked its feathers lightly and gave it an owl treat before it left, giving Ron one last scowl before doing so.

She hastily began opening the letter, making sure that Ron, who was now looking sorry for himself as he inspected his fingers, didn't see the green wax and Malfoy crest, and began to read.

_Hermione_   
_Slughorn was not talking of newts and salamanders that night when the eggs were stolen, but, of Newt Scamander._   
_More specifically, I expect, one of his unpublished works which you have in your possession– A Book of Monsters I Wish Were Mythical._   
_Come back as soon as convenient._   
_LM_

* * *

Lucius had been so surprised to find the book that not even he had heard of, especially a piece from such a renowned author as Scamader. He'd been flicking through the pages when a picture of a bright yellow egg had caught his attention and suddenly all the pieces seemed to click into place.

Once he'd sent his eagle, Tilda, off with the letter for Hermione, he returned to the library to continue reading the book. As he opened the door he heard a pop from downstairs, someone apparating onto the porch.

At first he thought it was Hermione, but he'd only just sent her the letter so it couldn't be her. The aurors perhaps? No, it was long after hours, no one would be doing anything at this time of night.

Cautiously he descended the stairs, casting a charm to silence his steps, wand at the ready. He could see a faint glow coming from the kitchen and approached the door silently. There was a shadow of the person cast by the light of their lumos and Lucius saw it was quite a large man, definitely not Hermione. Knowing the intruder must be facing the other way, Lucius entered the room and was about to cast a stupefy when the figure quickly turned around, shock, and then malicious happiness, etched on his face.

"Well, well, Lucius, fancy seeing you here." Came the rough voice of Rodolphus Lestrange.


	16. What We're Best At

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta'd by Mari681
> 
> Sorry to say that I'll be away in Scotland for a while so the next chapter probably won't be out for about two weeks.
> 
> Check out my new short Hermione/Lucius one shot Trial 97 if you cant wait for the next chapter of Revelations.

Hermione could barely contain her excitement when she read Lucius' words. Newt Scamander. Oh, it was so obvious that she had completely overlooked it. Now, what she had thought to be nonsense, all made perfect sense.

The book Lucius wrote of had, in fact, been given to her by Slughorn when she left Hogwarts. He had thought she would enjoy it, considering her new job at the ministry. She had enjoyed it, that is, until she'd got so busy with the job that she hadn't finished it, and the book had sat on her shelf gathering dust since.

Draco was looking at her suspiciously, the wide smile on her face seemingly causing him some confusion. It was quite at odds with the conversation she had just been having with Ron after all. Hermione hid a sigh as she realised he must know who the bird was from, Lucius obviously not thinking anyone who would recognise it being at the Burrow. Now she'd have to try and explain its presence without giving their...situation, away. It seemed she was having to do that rather a lot lately.

"Hey Hermione, what've you got there?" Asked Harry, who'd just come back inside.

"Finally got the information I needed for one of my cases." Hermione answered, gesturing at the letter. "So I've got to get back home as soon as I can."

"Oh, do you have to go already? I was hoping you would stay for a little while longer." Harry pleaded.

"I doubt she'd want to stay, considering the way Weasley's been treating her." Draco interjected, "Deserves exactly what he got coming to him." He added, seeing Harry's eyes widen as he noticed the blood dripping from Ron's hand.

"What happened?" Harry asked, surprising Hermione when he didn't immediately assume it had been Draco's doing.

"The bird who brought me my letter didn't seem to appreciate Ron trying to take it." Said Hermione, her tone sour.

"Bird clearly has good judgement…" muttered Draco in the background.

"And what do you mean, Ron's treatment of Hermione? What did he do?" Harry asked accusingly, now staring daggers at Ron.

"Just being his usual self." Hermione said dryly "Idiotic, insensitive and rude."

"Quite a few other words I'm sure we could add to that list." Added Draco, his continuing dislike of Ron evident.

"You really are a bastard Ron." Commented Harry, shaking his head in despair. "What did he do Hermione?" He asked, concern obvious in his eyes.

"I can't even be bothered to waste another breath on the boy." She sighed is exasperation. "Although, I'm sure Draco will be more than happy to fill you in." She added, sending an appreciative smile Draco's way.

"If you're sure." Harry conceded with a lopsided smile, hair in his eyes.

"Thanks Harry." She said, truly happy to still have Harry as a friend. "Anyway, I really have to get going, this business is very urgent and I've kept my client waiting far too long."

"Alright then, I hope we'll see you soon, Hermione." Said Harry hopefully.

"I'm sure you will. It's the ministry New Year ball in just over a week, so I'm sure I'll see you then."

"Not Christmas?" He asked, a little dispiritedly. "I know it's only a few days away, but I'm sure Molly can fit you in. She does always make more than enough food for everyone after all."

"I'm afraid I've already promised Andromeda and little Teddy I'd spend it with them, but thanks for asking Harry, I really do appreciate the invitation."

"Oh, alright, well...send them my love."

"I will." She said, edging her way towards the door as subtly as she could, anxious to get back to Lucius. She bid everyone a quick farewell, surprised when even Draco gave her a hug, and in fact, that he was still at the Burrow. It was odd considering most of the other guests had left. Not thinking too much of it, she made her way from the house and disapparated.

She appeared with a pop a little way down the street from her home. Too many mysterious sounds in a day and the neighbours were likely to get suspicious. Also, the wards still on the house prevented apparation directly inside, so it seemed like the most sensible option. As she approached, she could see a faint glow coming from the kitchen and, upon getting closer, could see two figures standing by the window.

One was clearly Lucius, he was so unique it would be impossible to mistake him as anyone else. The other was bearded, his hair dark, thick and neat. He stood taller than Lucius, an impressive feat, and was dressed head to toe in black. She approached cautiously, taking care not to be seen, in order to try and work out who this mysterious man was.

Hermione hid behind a large tree outside her house, it's trunk completely covering her, and peered around it. She had to cover her mouth to stifle the gasp that escaped her when she recognised the man as Rodolphus Lestrange. He was unmistakable, especially with the large scar covering half of his face, courtesy of Tonks during the battle of the seven Potters.

Thoughts began to run through her mind at an alarming rate. Suddenly her heart dropped when she had the idea that, perhaps, Lucius had betrayed her, lured her here with the letter, and planned to hand her over to Rodolphus. The thought started to tear her apart, and she sunk to the ground, her legs giving out. She had never imagined that she could feel so much despair at a mere idea. It felt as though her heart might crumble in her chest.

No! She couldn't, wouldn't, believe it. The Lucius she had come to know would never do that to her. She must assess the situation logically and calmly, that was what she did best after all.

Peeking back around the tree, she could see that, although Lucius' wand was not pointing directly at Rodolphus, it was still aimed at him, following his movements as Rodolphus paced slowly around the room. Lestrange looked fairly at ease, whereas Lucius held himself tall, looking slightly down his nose, and Hermione could tell that he was putting on his superior facade, to give off the illusion that he was in control. They were clearly talking about something and Hermione couldn't help but wonder what, or in fact, why Rodolphus was in her house in the first place.

* * *

Lestrange was a proficient dueller and, although Lucius was sure he could take him, it would most likely result in his own injury. Deciding the most sensible course of action would be to discover Rodolphus' purpose here, he lowered his wand, but never let it stray too far from his ex-comrade.

It was an understatement to say that Lucius was shocked to see Lestrange in Hermione's home. His initial thoughts were that somehow Rodolphus had discovered that Hermione was his daughter but, although the man was smart, Lucius doubted he would know anything about it.

His analysing was cut short however, when Rodolphus started to question him.

"What brings you here, Lucius?" He asked casually, but Lucius could see the suspicion in his eyes. "Here doing the ministries bidding, are you?"

Ah, so it was a question of loyalty was it. It had been this way when Lucius had avoided Azkaban after Voldemort's first downfall. The others saw him as fickle and untrustworthy, and he suspected that, had it not been for his money and position in society, they would have killed him long ago. It had helped, back then, that the Dark Lord had taken a liking to him, given him authority due to his prowess in battle, but alas, and somewhat thankfully, he was not here to do the same today.

"Do not insult me by suggesting I would allow those pathetic excuses of wizards at the ministry to use me in such a way." He said, his tone dripping with authority. Rodolphus had always been more of a follower than a leader, and Lucius was sure it would have an effect.

"No, I am here because it has come to my attention that the Mudblood," He stated with surprising difficulty, the word seeming to stick to his throat as he said it "Granger, was said to be impersonating my ex-wife, and I thought using the chaos - I presume you so kindly provided - would allow me the opportunity I required to investigate the matter further."

His story seemed to appease Rodolphus who visibly relaxed, clearly thinking he had been telling the truth. It had helped Lucius gain a better understanding of the situation too, as Rodolphus would only have believed what he said if he was in contact with Avery, and now Lucius knew they were most likely working together.

"So Rodolphus, may I ask what exactly you're doing back here?" Lucius asked, turning the tables in the situation.

Lestrange started to meander around the room as he spoke, his body language telling a tale in itself. It told Lucius that whatever Rodolphus was saying was of his own creation. There were very few who would pace around when recounting someone else's plans. Much to Lucius' surprise, it would appear that Rodolphus was heading the operation. Perhaps the loss of Bellatrix had allowed him to become a more dominant person, but, Lucius suspected it was more likely that he was simply the only person who had been capable enough to take on the role.

"We're working on something and, let's just say, Granger might know a little too much."

"So you decided to destroy her house?" Lucius drawled, rolling his eyes "How very novel of you." He mocked. He realised it could be dangerous to rile up the man but decided that acting this way would give him some element of superiority and control over the situation.

"Not exactly." Rodolphus grumbled, although his annoyance seemed not to be directed at Lucius. "Avery insisted he be the one to kill the girl, something about avenging Narcissa's good name." He mumbled in exasperation. "So I let him lead the mission but, unsurprisingly, she wasn't here, so he decided to have some fun with the place. Neanderthal…"

"Indeed." Lucius agreed, somewhat intrigued that Rodolphus did not appear to be the man he once thought he was. He was unsurprised, however, to hear Narcissa's name mentioned. He had known Avery seemed to harbour some sort of obsession for her in the past, and was now happier than ever that he'd given her the estate on Lake Como, nice and far away from the madman.

"As to why I came back," Rodolphus continued "Avery said they couldn't find out where she had gone, but neglected to look for anything else of use, the idiot, so I came back myself." He said, his tone tired, as the flicked through some papers on her counter.

"Have you been here long? Found anything?" Asked Rodolphus, hoping Lucius would have done his work for him it would seem. Although Lestrange appeared to have accepted his story now, if he had spies at the ministry, which was likely, then he would all too soon find out that Lucius had been seen at the house with Hermione. So, deciding he had nothing to lose, Lucius decided that twisting the truth would be the most optimal course of action, it was what he was best at after all.

"I managed to get Potter himself to show me around the place, the Granger girl was there too would you believe, under the pretence of helping their investigation. I am an _expert_ on these sorts of things you know." He said with a sly smile, causing a gravelly chuckle to escape Rodolphus.

"I couldn't find anything helpful, and they didn't seem to know anything about what had happened, useless bunch that they are, so I thought I'd come back later and do some digging myself. I suspect though, that she moved anything we might be looking for to wherever she is now." Lucius stated "And," He added, seeing Rodolphus about to ask another question "I've looked. I couldn't find any inkling of her whereabouts at the ministry. It would appear she has covered her tracks well."

"Damn it! Who knew a mudblood could be so smart. It puts some of our lot to shame doesn't it." He muttered, clearly with someone in mind, Avery most likely.

Lucius couldn't help but think that whatever Rodolphus was up to went further than stealing magical creatures. He knew that questioning him here would reveal far more than what the ministry would be able to get out of him. The Dark Lord had decided it was imperative that all his closest followers, those that knew the most, be resistant to questioning should they be captured. This had lead to the quite difficult, not to mention painful, training they had in order to resist the effects of veritaserum. Training, he knew, Rodolphus had completed. So, he decided to keep up his little charade for a while longer and would capture the man when he'd learnt everything he could.

"What is it exactly you're working on?" He asked, trying to sound as genuinely interested as possible.

"You thinking of joining?" Asked Rodolphus sceptically.

"Perhaps." Lucius said, flicking some non existent dust off his sleeve. "It depends how good of a plan it is." He taunted, trying to get Rodolphus to tell him as much as possible. He knew what was in the egg that they had stolen, but couldn't see how it alone would aid their cause, so there had to be more to it.

"Have you ever wondered why the Dark Lord failed?" Rodolphus asked, not waiting for an answer "It is because they were ready for him in the end, knew what to expect, what needed to be done to stop us from taking over" He reeled off, as if he'd said this speech in his mind a hundred times. "This time, however, they will be so unprepared that they won't stand a chance."

"You know as well as I do that words mean very little, Rodolphus. What proof do you have? Tell me something I can believe." Lucius jabbed, trying to get the man to tell him something conclusive.

Suddenly they heard a loud pop from outside the house, followed closely by another.

"Let me in 'Mione!" Came a slurred voice from the other side of the door.

"Stop it Weasley, you utter moron, she's obviously not here." Came another, a voice Lucius knew all too well, and both his mind and heart started to race.

What was Draco doing here? And why was he with the Weasley boy? Before he had the chance to come to a conclusion, he saw that Rodolphus was on the move, heading towards the door.

"What are you doing Lestrange?" Lucius growled through clenched teeth. Rodolphus would likely kill Ron if he opened the door, not that Lucius would have complained, but he didn't want Draco getting involved. "Come Rodolphus." He said as he grabbed hold of the man's arm "We should leave, it would do no good to let them know you're involved."

"Calm down Lucius, I can take the boy and whoever else is out there. I'm going to enjoy watching them bleed."

Oh, there was the Rodolphus Lucius remembered.

* * *

It all happened so quickly that Hermione barely had time to get her thoughts together. There was Ron, on her front step, and suddenly, there was Draco too. Rodolphus went straight for the door, she could see Lucius trying to stop him but it appeared to be no use. She called to them, quietly enough that Lestrange wouldn't hear inside, but loud enough to catch their attention.

Draco turned around, wide eyed, but listened to her without question when she gestured him over to the tree. Ron hadn't heard, the drunken imbecile, and was now practically falling down the steps wondering where Draco had gone. The door opened silently, the menacing figure of Rodolphus appearing from the shadows and, before Hermione got the chance to react, a particularly nasty stinging jinx hit Ron square in the back, causing him to crumple to his knees in agnoy as he cried out.

"Are you an idiot?" She heard Lucius say from inside "The whole neighbourhood will know you're here now."

"I doubt there are any wizards round here that are going to protect him, we'll be fine." Rodolphus replied in a tone perhaps even hauightier than Lucius' was capable of.

She saw him now, his hair practically glowing in the moonlight. He was raising his wand behind Lestrange's back, clearly planning on stopping him before things got out of hand. She heard Draco's sharp inhale as he saw his father, but before anything worse could happen, or Draco did something rash, Hermione decided to take matters into her own hands.

* * *

Lucius knew he was going to have to deal with Rodolphus eventually but he had been hoping to get some more information out of him before he did. Damn Weasley boy, always ruining everything.

The words where on his lips when suddenly, from behind a tree on the pavement, came a flash of light, and Rodolphus fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious. Much to his surprise, Hermione came running out from behind the trunk, Draco right behind her.

She ran straight past Weasley, who now seemed to have passed out, and stopped in front of Lucius, looking about to pull him into a hug, before remembering Draco's presence.

"Father, what is the meaning of this?" Questioned Draco. He had become much more confident in himself since the war when it came to dealing with his father, and Lucius couldn't be prouder of him.

"I will explain everything later Draco, but first we must deal with this." He said, giving Rodolphus a hard prod with his boot.

"I promise you I will tell you everything." He added seeing the doubt in Draco's eyes "But before I can, you must trust what I say and do, and act accordingly. I know it will be hard for you to trust me, and I fully understand, but please Draco, give me one more chance." He pleaded.

Draco seemed to mull it over but, after seeing the slight smile and curious look Hermione was giving Lucius, seemed to come to a decision.

"Deal."


	17. Truths

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took a bit longer than usual to get this chapter out, had lot's of assignments due after my trip to Scotland!
> 
> First section of this chapter is Draco POV, just to save anybody any initial confusion.

The trip to the ministry following the strange series of events at Hermione's house went exactly as Draco had expected them to.

His father, as always, managed to explain and smile his was out of everything and, even being his son, Draco himself couldn't tell what was truth and what lies. What was surprising though was how Hermione and his father seemed to be working together, yet seemingly still despising each other at the same time. It was as if they'd discussed exactly what they would say beforehand, the way their recounting of the events backed up the other, covering any flaws in the others tale whilst making it sound like a sly jab or annoyed comment.

Fortunately for the two, Harry was still at the Burrow, completely unaware of the situation, the numb skull, and a pair of aurors on night duty were the only ones around to question them. He was happy Harry wasn't here, for his father's sake of course, but for some reason he couldn't stop himself from looking over his shoulder every couple of minutes, eyes searching for a mop of black hair…

Weasley had been sent straight to St Mungos, no one present willing to waste the time helping him themselves, despite being more than capable. He'd still been passed out when they'd arrived at the ministry, from drunkenness or fear Draco couldn't be sure, but he thought it was pathetic either way, wondering what Granger had ever seen in the idiot. Draco had come to actually like Hermione in their last year of Hogwarts, he still held onto some of his school day grudges, but lately he had come to respect her for the impressive witch she was.

Occasionally the aurors would ask him questions to back up the story, which he did, rather well he thought, clearly spending all that time around his father had paid off, but he couldn't help but wonder why he was bothering. He barely spoke to Lucius these days, forgiveness still a bitter thought in his head, and spending time with him, the changed man he was, made his resolve start to waver. His father had come a long way in the years since the end of the war, as had he, but something seemed different about him today and Draco thought it prudent to find out what.

The aurors took Rodolphus to a ministry cell so that he could be interrogated, letting them know beforehand that they may be called back in for further questioning. Draco wasn't sure what had really happened tonight but wondered whether, if Lerstrange told them anything at all, it would match Lucius' story. He was about to bring up his thought as they walked towards the atrium floos but thought better of it, this was Hermione Granger and Lucius Malfoy after all, if anyone knew what they were doing in situations like this, it was them.

It struck him then how similar the two were. Both intelligent, proud, ruthless when it came to getting what they wanted, and exceedingly powerful in all forms of magic, a talent that came naturally to the pair. Perhaps that's why she'd always intimidated him a little, in many respects she was so very much like his father. The way she'd often looked at him with not hatred, but disappointment, whenever he'd done something bad, whether it was to her or someone else, in exactly the way his father would always do.

He remembered the day Lucius and Hermione had met well, that fateful day back in Flourish and Blotts where his dislike of her had increased exponentially. His father had been so subtly insulting, maintaining his pride effortlessly, whilst Draco had managed to be brash and embarrass himself. Hermione had been there and she'd stood up to Lucius, something Draco had been incapable of, and he had hated her for it. Lucius had recognised her immediately, Draco often ranting about her outshining him for the majority of his first year, and he'd always thought, despite being a muggle-born, that Lucius had admired her somewhat. He'd jabbed the Weasleys on their association with muggles but left Hermione almost completely unscathed, only occasionally glancing at her with a strange glint of what Draco had only been able to describe as respect at the time.

Lucius had mentioned once, how Hermione, physically at least, reminded him of his aunt Bellatrix, before she want mad of course, and it had made him jealous of her even more, that his father would compare this girl he hated to someone he regarded as such a powerful witch.

He had continued to hate her at a steady pace since then, that is, until when she'd punched him in third year. The punch in itself had made him mad, but even he recognised that he had deserved it, but it was his father's reaction that had made it worse. Naturally, Lucius had questioned him when he came home with a bruised nose, and clearly not believing his poor excuse had used legillimency on him. He wouldn't have known his father had done it if he hadn't loitered outside his study afterwards and heard his father say to himself ' _Didn't even have to use magic to outdo him this time, to think what she would be if she was a pureblood…_ '

And Draco had thought about it. Briefly it had entered his mind that she would have made a very good match for him but he had quickly dismissed it, he'd never considered Hermione like that, despite Pansy questioning him about it on more than one occasion. No, he'd thought about whether or not it mattered if she was pureblood or not. She seemed to outdo him at everything but Quidditch whilst still being muggle-born, so what did it matter, who her parents were. Draco of all people knew that, as much as he wished it were different, who your parents were didn't make you who you are. Surely ones ability didn't rely on how pure you're blood was, you were either magic or not. How was something that now seemed so simple to him divide their people?

His thoughts were cut short when they reached the floo and, instead of saying goodbye, Hermione walked in first, calling out Malfoy Manor as she did. He looked at his father questioningly but he simply gestured for him to follow. He frowned, but did what he was asked anyway, still curious as to what he was about to be told.

Being the Ministers aide had it's advantages, one of which was hearing a lot of news and gossip that the typical ministry worker wouldn't. He'd noticed, of late, he kept hearing his fathers name. What was being said was never directly about him, usually some incident the aurors had been dealing with, and Lucius' was simply mentioned in passing, an added detail, nothing more. Now, to anyone else who'd have heard this, it would have meant little, but Draco had been hearing it a lot and, doing his research, had found that all incidents where his father was mentioned, Hermione had been there too. At first he'd thought it an odd coincidence until, one evening, his suspicions started to arise.

One of his old, acquaintances, had been at an auction, trying to get rid of some dark artefacts, when he'd spotted Lucius and, knowing Draco's worry about his father's allegiances in the past, had informed him straight away. Draco had gone straight to Harry that very night, ready to speak in his fathers defence. He had walked briskly through the corridors of the auror department and, as he did, smelt something rather familiar. His fathers cologne. Intrigued, he had pushed on, until stopping abruptly outside Harry's door when he heard the deep voice of his father inside, shortly followed by that of Hermione. Knowing the two were probably handling the situation, although why they were doing it together he could not say, he had gone home, bumping into the constant annoyance, Weasley, as he did.

Later that week he had visited Severus for tea, something they tried to do every fortnight or so, when, in passing, Severus mentioned that Lucius had encountered Hermione a couple of weeks ago. Suspicious that something was going on, Draco had started to speculate what was going on, even suggesting that perhaps the two were sleeping together. Severus had practically spat out his tea when Draco suggested it and had been completely convinced that it couldn't be possible. They'd argued about it for at least half an hour until deciding they would make a bet, Severus most confident that he would be winning.

They all entered by the library floo, Lucius gliding out completely dust free after Draco. Hermione gave his father one of those smiles again, the kind that had caught Draco's interest in the first place, before quietly leaving the room.

The Lucius Draco knew would typically at this point go and take his time pouring himself some fire whiskey, arrange himself comfortably, yet elegantly, in the most tactically placed chair in the room, before making eye contact with you, but, much to Draco's surprise, this was not what he did.

He gave Draco a tentative smile, offering him the large black armchair, looking somewhat similar to a throne, that faced the fire, before asking if he wanted anything to drink. Instead of calling a house elf, Lucius poured it himself, one of his finest whiskeys Draco noted as he breathed in the spicy scent. It was clear his father was being nice for a reason, Draco had seen it enough times to know, but it was an appreciated gesture none the less.

Lucius sat to his left with a strange look on his face and Draco was startled when he realised that his father was actually nervous. He never truly realised how much his father cared about him, he'd been blind to it until the battle at Hogwarts where Lucius abandoned everything for him, and now he saw it again, just how scared his father was of losing him.

"Thank you, Draco." Came Lucius' voice, finally breaking the silence. "It means a great deal to me that you would trust me and help me."

"Naturally." Said Draco, sounding more like his father than he ever had. "We are family after all."

Draco couldn't help but let the corner of his mouth turn into a smile when he saw the glimmer of happiness in his father's eyes at his words, he had truly forgotten how much he missed his father's company on those rare occasions when they got along.

"I assume you have something you wish to talk to me about then." Draco stated, imitating his father yet again with surprising accuracy.

"Yes, I must tell you from the beginning though for it all to make sense." Said Lucius, the nervousness he clearly felt reaching his voice. "It all started about a month ago, when I went to fufil my role as Hogwarts potions master."

Lucius told him everything. Hermione's case, the events that occurred in Knockturn alley, their trip to the auction, Hermione staying at the Manor as a safe house, all that had happened with Avery, Rodolphus and the dragon eggs. Then he paused for a minute, seemingly coming to the point of this whole story but unable to say it.

This was one of those strange times in life where someone opened their mouths to say something, and you thought you knew exactly what it was, even though it was unimaginable, and yet, they said it anyway.

"Draco, Hermione and I." He said, searching his sons eyes for some sort of reaction. "We're, that is to say, I-"

"You love her." Interjected Draco, surprising himself at how easily he could say the words.

* * *

Love her?

Did he love her?

Oh, sweet Cersei, he did.

"You didn't realise, did you?" Draco asked with a slight chuckle.

"I suppose I didn't." Lucius said, trying not to sounds as flustered as he felt.

"Well, I'm happy for you."

"You are?" He asked, so unsure was he about how Draco would react that he couldn't quite believe it.

"Sure. I mean I didn't exactly see this coming," Draco said in a way that made Lucius most dubious as to whether that statement was true or not. "But I completely understand it. You two make quite the pair and, well, I'm glad to see you happy." He said with a smile.

Lucius hadn't felt this overjoyed since the night Hermione had come to him in his room, or when he heard of the Dark Lord's death, and he couldn't contain himself as he pulled Draco into a firm hug.

Draco stiffened slightly in shock, Lucius had hugged him rarely in his childhood, something he regretted, but his son soon embraced him back.

"Draco, you have no idea how much it means to me that you accept this, I don't know what I'd do if I lost you." He said as he squeezed his son, his precious son, whom he'd thought would never smile at him again. He was so happy that Draco understood, not even needing to question Lucius' feelings.

"Alright father, let's not get too emotional now." Draco joked, lightening the mood.

"Ah yes, of course." Lucius smiled back. "We wouldn't want anyone finding out that us Malfoys have gone soft, would we." The both laughed, low and deep, and Lucius wondered when his son had grown up so much.

Draco yawned loudly as he sat back down, head lolling backwards slightly as he did.

"Tired Draco?"

"Yeah, it's been a long day. I should probably get going actually."

Sudden panic filled Lucius, the thought of his son leaving so soon after having only just gotten him back made him sad.

"You could stay here?" Lucius suggested. "I always have your room ready, just in case."

Draco smiled again, just like he used to when he was a young boy. "Alright then, it would be nice to stay at home again." He agreed as he got up and made his way to the door.

It was so sweet to hear Draco say the word home again. Home, that's what this house was starting to become again, and Lucius couldn't be happier.

"I've got to be in work pretty early, big day tomorrow, so you probably won't see me in the morning. But don't worry, I'll be back for Dinner." He added, seeing Lucius' smile fade slightly.

 _Big day tomorrow_. Why did that trigger something in his mind? Oh yes. Tomorrow was the day Hermione would find out who she truly was, the polyjuice finally being ready. How could he have forgotten to tell Draco about that? It would probably be a much bigger shock for him to find out Hermione was his cousin than that his father was in love with her. Lucius almost laughed at how ludicrous the thought sounded, but supposed it was true none the less.

"Draco." He called as his son reached for the door.

"Yeah." Draco said sleepily, rubbing his eyes.

"There is something else I must tell you about Hermione, but I'm not sure if it is true yet, I find out tomorrow, so, I just supposed I ought to let you know." He admitted.

"Don't worry dad, I think I already know what you're waiting on." Draco said with a mischievous grin. "Perhaps, this time, I've worked out something before Miss Granger."

* * *

Hermione had left the pair to it, deciding her presence would just make matters worse. She suspected Draco would be accepting, it was unlikely he would have come if he wasn't planning on hearing his father out, but she thought it best anyway.

She took the book Lucius had found in her house out of her pocket and enlarged it, glad that they'd had the thought to get it whilst there. She flicked through the pages, which she'd never really appreciated the value and beauty of, until near the back she found the one she was looking for.

There it was, intricately illustrated, the bright yellow egg, and it's inhabitant. A Manticore.

She now realised that the book truly lived up to its title, agreeing whole heartedly with it, _A Book of Monsters I Wish Were Mythical_ indeed.

An intelligent, brutal creature which was near impossible to kill with magic, what more of a perfect weapon could one hope for? She would have commended Rodolphus on his choice had she not been so worried about his plans for it. It was paramount now that they managed to locate the egg before the creature hatched, making it all the more important to get straight down to questioning Lestrange.

She knew it would have to wait until the evening though, for her to visit the man at least, as tomorrow was the day she'd hopefully discover who Andromeda's child was, the polyjuice due to be ready at around midday.

Hermione was excited to find out, to be able to re-unite two people, but part of her was a little sad. For some reason she felt like she'd be losing her parents all over again, that vulnerable part of her worried that she'd be replaced once Andromeda had her true son or daughter back. She knew the thought was ludicrous but it saddened her none the less.

Hermione stifled a yawn, and looking at her watch, decided it was high time she got to bed. The day had been long, complicated and both emotionally and physically draining, so thought it was best she got some rest, Lucius could fill her in on his conversation with Draco in the morning. She made her way up the stairs and in wasn't until she was curled up in bed that she realised she had gone to Lucius' room, not her own.

Feeling too tired to move, and not truly wanting to, she drifted off into a much deserved sleep.

* * *

Lucius wandered into his dark room silently, absorbed in his thoughts. So much had happened today that he couldn't decide what to feel. Relief about capturing Rodolphus, elation about Hermione and his son, or apprehension and fear about tomorrow? It was all too much for him so he quickly dis-robed and, after a quick trip to the bathroom, climbed into bed only to find a soundly sleeping Hermione in his spot.

Smiling to himself that she'd come to his room, he carefully slid in next to her and pulled her close, hoping that, whatever may happen with the polyjuice, they'd be doing this again tomorrow.


	18. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mention a tune in this chapter and for those of you who like to listen when you read, I imagined it sounding similar to Gnossienne No.1, you may have heard it in The Painted Veil if it sounds familiar.
> 
> Think I'm about 75% through this now with probably 6 or so chapters left, definitely did not think it would end up being this long when I started!
> 
> Thank you to my wonderful Beta Mari681 for doing this monster chapter so quickly.

Draco was so tired that he had barely thought about the news at all before he had fallen asleep, but as he worked, he had time to reflect on what he'd learnt.

He had suspected Lucius and Hermione were sleeping together, yes, hence why he'd made a bet with Severus, but love? No, he hadn't seen that coming. Once his father started telling him everything it had become apparent to Draco how his father really felt about Hermione. At first, he had been shocked, then an anger had boiled in him, the child inside him thinking that his mother was the only woman Lucius would ever love, but, eventually, he had settled upon acceptance.

Draco admired Hermione, he really did, and if she was the woman Lucius had fallen for, then so be it. The thought of calling his old school friend 'step-mother' did throw him slightly, but he supposed it was something he could live with were they to marry. Hermione was someone who was unlikely to cause him any problems, especially when it came to his inheritance. Despite being a changed man, he couldn't deny that, one day, being the Lord of Malfoy Manor something that he still aspired to.

When his father had said he still had something else to tell Draco about Hermione, he had assumed that Hermione was pregnant. Wizards could find out about these things out much sooner than muggles, the signs more obvious, from what he'd heard anyway. Therefore it would make sense that Hermione knew nothing about it yet, most likely being unfamiliar with the practice. She had seemed very happy at the burrow, glowing in a way he'd been told women did when with child, just like his father used to tell him Narcissa did, and it would explain the apprehension and nervousness which accompanied Lucius's words.

Draco was pleased that his father had confided in him. Lucius' love for Hermione showed Draco what a changed man he truly must be, that he could feel that way about a muggle-born. Draco felt happy, and somewhat relieved, that, despite not saying the words directly, he had forgiven his father. Narcissa would be pleased he was sure, she always worried about him growing more and more distant from Lucius. She'd been accepting of his anger at first, it was completely understandable after all, but, after five years of Draco giving Lucius the cold shoulder, she had begun to subtly suggest he at least give his father one more chance.

Draco was on his way to the department of mysteries when he spotted Weasley, walking through the atrium on his way to work, late he noticed, and chuckled, knowing what he now did about his father and Granger. The boy seemed to have recovered from the previous evening, but he definitely looked grumpy, most likely Hermione's rejection of him, if he even remembered it that was.

Although he wanted to rub his news in Ron's face, something even as a grown man he couldn't deny gave him pleasure, he decided better of it. Clearly what he knew was meant to be kept a secret and he wouldn't be able to discuss it with anyone. Not even Harry…

Speaking of the chosen one, suddenly Draco found himself being dragged backwards into an unused office by the man.

"What the hell, potter? Let go of me!" He shouted.

"Sorry, I just need to talk to you."

"You could have just said hello like a normal person." Draco said irritably, straightening his robes to distract himself from how strangely uncomfortable he felt standing so close to Potter.

"I suppose." Admitted Harry, having the decency to look mildly embarrassed. "I'm just a bit flustered after hearing about what happened last night. I panicked."

"It's fine." Draco sighed, unable to stay mad at his friend for long. "Well, what is it?"

Harry seemed distracted, staring at the faded dark mark on Draco's left arm. Pulling his sleeve down rather violently, Draco asked again "What is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Oh, right, yes." Harry fumbled, sounding like a first year who'd just been asked a particularly tough question by Severus. "It's just, well, Draco, your father, he's not, you know, again, is he?"

"What?" Draco asked, perhaps a little too harshly. Suddenly he had a fear that, somehow, Harry had found out about Lucius and Hermione, but it was the _again_ Harry said that made him confused.

"Harry, you're going to have to use a coherent sentence if you want me to understand, especially if you're trying to insinuate something involving my father." Draco said proudly, his reunion with Lucius making him once more protective of his family name, something that for the last five years he had lost faith in.

Harry looked angered by Draco's harsh tone, surprised at how he spoke of Lucius, probably due to Draco bad-mouthing the man to him for the last five years, and replied with a spiteful edge in his voice. "After last night, couldn't you say that it wouldn't be too much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that your father had returned to his _old ways_?"

Draco was lost for words. The rational part of him knew Harry had probably pulled him in here out of worry, but the way he said the words, the look in Harry's green eyes, made anger rise within him.

"That is a false accusation! What evidence do you have? I was there Harry, I saw it all, my father is a changed man! Are you still so unable to forget the past?"

Harry had hurt in his eyes. They hadn't fought like this in a while, not since Harry had proposed to Ginny, and Draco may have said one too many hateful things about the girl.

"I'm sorry. I was just worried, I didn't want him dragging you down with him again, and as for Hermione-" He said, suddenly stopping himself. Normally Draco would have protested that his father held little influence over him any more, but he was more intrigued about what Harry was going to say about Hermione.

"As for Hermione, what?" He asked, playfully emphasising his question by poking his friend in the arm, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well I suppose I can tell _you_." Harry said with what sounded like relief, clearly he hadn't been able to speak to any of his other friends, Ginny included, and that fact made Draco happier than it should have.

After silencing the room, something they probably should have done before they started shouting at each other, he told Draco about Hermione's case, the increasing time she spent with Lucius, and his worries about her involvement in the recent events. Fortunately, Harry didn't have any idea just how _involved_ Hermione was, but not in the dark underworld he seemed to think she was.

Draco dismissed Harry's fears, telling him he worried too much and that Hermione was completely fine, she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

"I suppose you're right, I just worry about her sometimes, especially with those two cases she's got. I don't know the details exactly, but they both sound pretty tough from what she has told me."

Two cases? Oh yes, the one for Andromeda Tonks his father had told him about, the one he was brewing the polyjuice for.

"Well I'll keep an eye on her." He said with a smile, adding when he saw the confused look on Harry's face "I'm staying at the manor for a while, so I expect I'll see her quite a bit."

Harry looked as if he wanted to say something, most likely about Draco staying at the manor, but clearly decided against it, instead giving his thanks and, saying they should see each other again soon, bid his farewell.

They both got a strange look from an old witch who saw them exit the room together, but Draco was too distracted to care. Typically, after talking to Harry, he found himself recounting every detail, reading into everything too much, but this time only one thing was on his mind. He'd almost forgotten about Andromeda's case, being too tired yesterday to think on much else other than his father being in love with Hermione, and now he remembered just how interesting it sounded.

Lucius hadn't told him everything, he supposed it hadn't been neccessary, but he got the basics of the case. Andromeda had a missing child, the same age as him no less. The father was unknown, and the child, well adult now, most likely having no idea who they truly were. It was strange to think he had a cousin out there. Despite having once had a large family, he had few relatives left alive. Lucius had no siblings, his parents both dead, thankfully in Abraxus' case. Bellatrix and Rodolphus had never had children, Bellatrix now dead and Rodolphus behind bars. He'd often thought it a shame that they never saw Andromeda, Nymphadora being the only cousin he had and all, which made this news all the more saddening.

It was strange to think that he might have talked to his cousin without even knowing it in the halls of Hogwarts, probably insulted them more than once if he thought them to be muggle-born. He cringed slightly thinking about it, all those times he'd bullied people back at school, Hermione especially, to think if all that time she'd been his cousin...

He stopped in his tracks, a young auror bumping into his back. The witch looked about to shout at him but, noticing who he was, simply moved on grumbling slightly.

_To think if all that time she'd been his cousin._

She could be, she fit the most plausible description perfectly, his fathers words about her resemblance to Bellatrix coming back to him again. That reminded him, his father, if it were true wouldn't that make Lucius, technically, Hermione's uncle? Relaxing slightly, he realised that they shared no blood at all, and since he and Narcissa weren't even married any more, that he was not even related to her by those ties either.

Could it really be true? Hermione was his cousin?

His fathers words started to make more sense to him now. If he remembered correctly, the polyjuice would be ready today, meaning that they might be able to discover once and for all who the child was. His idea of Hermione being pregnant seeming somewhat foolish now.

It was strange to think that even if she didn't marry Lucius, she might still be his family. He felt rather guilty then, more so than he had in the past, about how he treated her at school, all the awful things he said and did to her. It wasn't because she was lhalfblood now, or maybe even pureblood, or because she was family, but that he'd judged her based on a meaningless label he believed to make her an inferior being, his own blind following of his family's beliefs leading him to do some terrible things.

He was pleased that his father planned to tell him about it once he knew for sure, it would save Draco from having to ask awkward questions, and showed just how much Lucius still cared for and trusted him.

Despite the strange circumstances under which it had occurred, Draco was just happy that he finally seemed to have a family again.

* * *

Lucius went into Hogwarts early that morning, telling Hermione that he had classes to teach. In truth, he never usually went in on Mondays, a deal he worked out with the school to allow for him to have time to manage his estate, but today he had to talk to someone.

He wasn't sure how Hermione would react this afternoon, or what he could do to help, and there were few people he could talk to about it. Draco was a possibility, since he knew about the pair and most likely had his suspicions about Hermione's true lineage, but he was busy, and Lucius didn't want to further burden his son with his own troubles.

Narcissa briefly entered his mind, she did know both Andromeda and Rodolphus well after all, but decided it would be too strange a conversation to fathom. Harry knew Hermione better than anyone, and would be perfect at helping her through this, but, he supposed, she would go to him herself if the need arose, and Lucius wasn't so sure he could tell the boy everything himself without getting sent to Azkaban.

That left him with only one real option, Severus. Although Snape was his closest, and most likely, only, true friend, he was reluctant to talk to him about this. Hermione had told him about her legilimency lessons with Severus when she went back to Hogwarts, and that they'd become good friends, but the jealous part inside of him couldn't help but worry that there was more to it. It was the fondness in her voice when she spoke about the man that did nothing to quell his fears, indicating that perhaps there had once been something between them other than friendship.

Deciding Severus was the only real option he had, Lucius made his way down the familiar route to the dungeons. He raised his hand to knock on Severus' office door, when it opened of its own accord.

"Good morning Lucius." Snape's deep voice greeted him, the man not looking up from his desk.

Lucius would have asked how his friend had known it was him but it had happened so many times he knew that the cane was to blame, the tapping a tell-tale sign of his approach, in ways both a blessing and a curse.

Severus said no more, continuing to mark the papers piled in front of him. Something was definitely wrong, it was rare for his friend to treat him so coldly. He took the seat opposite Severus, not that it had been offered to him, most strange considering Snape was always one for courtesies with those he was close with.

"Is something amiss, dear friend?" Lucius asked with a somewhat toxic edge. He was a patient man, but being ignored was something he had never been able to tolerate well.

"Nothing at all." He replied smoothly, still not looking Lucius in the eye.

It was then that Lucius spied an open letter on the desk, one marked with the Malfoy seal and dated the previous evening. He could read it from where he sat, there were few words and the hand it was written in one he recognised instantly, the way one does with their only son.

_Dear Severus,_

_I am writing to inform you_ _that you now owe me 100 Gold Dragons.  
Perhaps, next time, you should not be so sure of your predictions when placing bets with a Malfoy._

_Your loving godson,_

_Draco_

Lucius chuckled a little at his son's words, finally catching Severus' attention.

"And what is it you find so amusing?" He questioned irritably.

In truth it was a number of things.

Draco's family pride for one, Lucius so glad that his son again admired the Malfoy name, that it once more represented something positive to him.

Secondly, because Lucius had written a similar letter to Severus only last year, regarding his bet that Hermione would never leave the awful Weasley for a number of reasons, mostly pertaining to flaws in her personality. Lucius had thought it to be rather harsh at the time, considering he thought them to be friends, but now understood that jealousy and frustration had most likely been driving Severus' poor account of the woman.

Thirdly, because his jealousy was no more. From what Lucius could gather, Draco and Severus had been having some sort of bet about he and Hermione, Merlin knows how they even had reason to suspect, but clearly Draco had taken the optimal position on the matter.

It was obvious now that whatever had been between his friend and Hermione, had there even been anything at all, although now he expected it to be at least one sided, was over. He was sure what Draco had written must have stung Severus a bit, and was certain his sons words would have been different had he known of Severus' feeling for Hermione, having never really been the cruel boy he once tried to be.

"It is of little interest to you I'm sure." He drawled, realising that perhaps letting his triumphant feelings known would most likely be detriment to his aims. "However, I do have something to talk with you about that I'm sure will interest you greatly."

"Regarding what?" Severus asked dryly.

"Miss Hermione Granger."

* * *

Lucius had done an excellent job, if he did say so himself, of telling the tale of Hermione's case without letting anything slip about their relationship. He realised that, in a way, it was futile, as his friend clearly already knew what they were, but thought that rubbing salt in the wound do no good. Even if he didn't already know, he was sure his friend would have worked it out, why else would the infamously selfish Lucius Malfoy care this much about somebody else? Hermione Granger at that. Although his friend knew him for the man he truly was, not the figure everyone saw him as, he suspected even he would have thought Lucius' actions very out of character.

To his credit, Severus listened patiently and attentively, only letting his brow furrow ever so slightly when he realised that Lucius must be leaving things out.

Lucius saw the exact moment that Severus worked out who Hermione must truly be. The colour went from his face, apparently he was not already as pale as a man could be, and his eyes widened, an impressive reaction to have gotten out of the man who was more of an expert at schooling his expressions than Lucius.

"And she is to find out today?" Severus finally asked, speaking for the first time in what felt like forever. "And you're scared for her?" He added, Lucius grateful that despite what feelings Severus may have, his understanding of the situation was not clouded.

"Yes." Answered Lucius solemnly. "I want to be strong enough to help her, but…" He thought he'd got his courage back, but this was making him doubt himself again. "I just, I still don't know if I'll be enough for her." He finally admitted, acknowledging his feelings for her at the same time.

They sat in silence again, Severus clearly mulling things over and Lucius, for yet another time in the space of 24 hours, was nervous. It was a feeling he was not entirely sure he liked, but he supposed it was a consequence of having people to worry about, people you loved, and if he had to feel nervous for the rest of his life then so be it.

"I could join you." Severus suggested, continuing quickly when he saw the reflexive frown of jealously come of its own will to Lucius face. "I am her friend Lucius, she trusts me, and having two of us there will no doubt be far better than one."

Lucius felt like grumbling, in the way a petulant child might when asked to finish his vegetables, but decided that he would endure anything to make sure Hermione would be alright, even if it meant having Severus there as another shoulder to cry on.

"Alright, thank you." He said as gratefully as he could. "We shall have to come up with an excuse for your presence though, Hermione will know something's up if you just happen to be there."

"I'm sure the two of us will be able to come up with something, we are still the best liars around aren't we?" Severus said with a chuckle.

"Now, now Severus, I prefer to call it alteration of the truth." He said, joining in with his friend's slightly dark humour. "It goes down far better if you ever get called to court."

* * *

**Severus POV**

They had decided they would tell Hermione that Severus had discovered the polyjuice potion, was dubious as to Lucius' true intentions in its use, and insisted on supervising so as to prevent Lucius getting up to anything…unsavoury.

Lucius had then left, needing to deal with some matters about his estate, agreeing to meet him at midday in the potions lab.

Severus let out a long sigh as the door closed behind his old friend, footsteps and cane slowly echoing away as he left. So it was true what Draco wrote, Lucius was indeed sleeping with Hermione.

Hermione and he had become close in her last year of Hogwarts, bonding over the way the war had affected each of them, helping the other through the traumas they had been through. Their lessons together had aided their blossoming friendship, Severus not even able to bring himself to try and pretend to be annoyed at her know-it-all attitude like he used to, he now admired it, found it endearing.

He had most definitely fallen for her, but his feelings were strange, something he had never felt before. He loved Hermione, he knew that, but he did not lust for her. He wanted to hug, kiss and hold her but his thoughts were never sexual in nature, more in the way two good friends might love each other, the way Lily had once loved him.

It had still bothered him though, when Hermione had been with Ron, he felt she was wasting her time with the imbecile. When she left him last year, he had felt relieved and, he would loathe to admit it, but a small part of him had hoped she would seek him out.

They had seen each other, the way good friends do, less frequently than he and Draco, but at least once a month, however, things had not changed. He wasn't even sure if he truly wanted them to.

He'd been content for the last year with how things had been. Hermione was very happy, as was he, finally able to enjoy his work without the pressures Voldemort and Dumbledore put on him, but, when Draco had mentioned his speculations about Hermione and Lucius, all that had changed. It was as if a part of him had thought that, should Hermione decide she wanted to be with someone again, that he would be the obvious choice. The fact that it was even possible that she was sleeping with Lucius baffled him, although, he begrudgingly admitted that he could, perhaps, understand the attraction.

Severus had owled her, hoping to talk to her in person and find things out for himself, knowing now the bird had returned with his note unopened as she had been at Malfoy Manor. When he received Draco's letter this morning he assumed it must be a joke, or that the boy was misinformed, but after Lucius' visit he was in no doubt. His friend was clearly besotted with her, Lucius one not to give his affections away flippantly, and it was apparent to Severus that whatever was going on was more than just sex.

He was jealous, of course he was, his best friend had what had been occupying his subconscious thoughts for the last year, but he could not be angry. If he had truly wanted to tell Hermione how he felt he would have done it by now, he'd had enough opportunities after all, and he suspected that he was more worried for her own feelings. He trusted Lucius though, knew he would not intentionally hurt the girl, and supposed she could have ended up with someone far worse, Krum perhaps.

The news about Hermione's parentage didn't interest Severus as much as her relationship with Lucius, but it had come as quite a shock to him none the less. He remembered Andromeda from his younger years, when he had visited Malfoy Manor in the holidays. She was around two years older than Lucius when he first saw her, a mere boy of twelve, and he had often thought Hermione shared a resemblance to the beautiful Miss Black as she grew older, but never thought much of it.

He supposed it all added up, and knew that, despite Lucius avoiding mentioning it, Rodolphus must be her father, having been told of his affections for Andromeda in the past. It would be a shock for sure and, knowing what Hermione had done to her own parents, it would definitely hit her hard. Having Andromeda to go and talk to and Rodolphus safely behind bars once more would hopefully make it easier for her to work through, and of course, the support he knew Harry and he would give her.

And, he supposed, the support Lucius would give her too.

* * *

Usually Hermione would have enjoyed the quiet morning she had due to Draco and Lucius leaving early for work, but not today. Today, she could really have used a distraction.

Hermione had been trying to think of who Andromeda's child could be before she had to use the polyjuice. Using the potion sort of felt like cheating and she wanted to work it out herself.

In her year at Hogwarts there were quite a few muggle-borns, but none of them seemed to, at least physically, be what she would expect of Andromeda and Rodolphus' child. Her study of muggle genetics had taught her that it was unlikely the child was blonde, although possible considering she didn't know what the rest of the Lestrange family looked like, but from what she could tell, their hair was most likely dark. In her year, the only muggle-borns seemed to be either blonde or ginger, none of them with even the slightest curls in their hair, so it was possible that perhaps the child had not been sent to Hogwarts. Maybe the child had been sent to a different school, not allowed to go at all, or even a squib, it was all possible, although, Hermione thought, unlikely.

She began to wander aimlessly through the house, trying to distract herself with the seemingly endless treasures the manor held, Lucius assuring her all dark items were either gone or safely locked away in Gringotts. After peering in over a dozen rooms, she opened a door to one in the guest wing, drawn in by an intriguing looking box on the bedside table. The room was clean, not a spot of dust to be found, but it was not without character. It was obvious it belonged to someone who visited often, or used to at least, as there were trinkets and personal belongings throughout the room. The walls were a grey, blue, imitating the clouded sky outside nicely, yet not giving the room an oppressive feel, in fact it felt very calming.

The box caught her eye again, the intricate gold veins in the black wood mesmerising, and, despite knowing it was probably not her place, she went over and perched on the bed, opening it anyway. She jumped slightly as a song began to play, the small chest similar to a muggle music box. The tune was eerie, sweet and slightly desperate. It made Hermione feel sad, like she'd lost something very important to her, but that she'd be okay, that if she kept listening to the song, everything would be fine.

Noticing the inscription inside the box ' _My Andromeda, forever yours, R'_ Hermione realised this is where Andromeda must have stayed when she visited the Manor, probably not long before she left with Ted. Hermione's thoughts started to wander again, back to the child, the life Rodolphus and Andromeda might have had together.

She could picture it now, a girl, because for some reason in her mind it had always been a girl, with wide curls like Andromeda, brunette thanks to Rodolphus' genes, most likely intelligent if what Lucius told her of the two was true, an impressive witch indeed.

"Miss Black." A cheery voice said from behind, startling Hermione who turned to see no one there.

"Oh sorry m'am, my mistake, you look so like Miss Black from behind that I thought you were her." Came the voice of an enchanted mirror above the dressing table, often charmed by their owners to give them advice on their outfits or appearence.

"No need to apologise." Hermione managed to say weakly, noticing her reflection in the mirror.

_Wild brunette curls._

_Muggle-born, 23 years of age, most likely a student at Hogwarts._

_Miss Black…_

The box fell to the floor with a crash, fortunately remaining unbroken, its tune still playing through the room.

* * *

At first, Hermione refused to believe it. It couldn't be. She was Hermione Granger, one of the most well known muggle-borns in history. She was not Hermione Black-Lestrange. She just couldn't be.

But it all made sense. So much, annoying, stupid, sense.

Not her magical ability, that came from within and had nothing to do with blood purity, but the rest of it was practically indisputable.

She remembered friends and distant family often commenting on her curls, wondering where she had got them from, and now as she approached the mirror, she saw it, just how much she looked like Andromeda, there were even hints of Bellatrix if you looked hard enough.

Hermione sat down, not entirely trusting her legs, and just stared at her reflection, the same person she'd looked at all her life. It was then that she realised that this revelation, did not change who she was, who she had always been. She was Hermione Granger, and that is who she would always be.

Tears were falling softly down her cheeks anyway, the overwhelming nature of her discovery something she was unable to dismiss. A strangled laugh escaped her lips when she realised that she'd been erased from both sets of parent's minds, her true father not even knowing of her existence other than in terms of a target to kill.

It was then that the true sorrow hit her, this desperate feeling that she had kept locked inside for all these years suddenly something she could no longer contain, this news the final drop that made the dam break. She fell to the floor and held herself against the hard wood, shaking as she cried.

Her true mother had removed her from her memory to protect her, and she'd ended up in the more danger than she was sure Andromeda could have ever imagined anyway, from a man her father blindly followed. She'd destroyed the memory of herself from the two people who had taken her in, raised her, the people who would always be her parents in her eyes. It was all so wretched and cruel, she had thought her life couldn't get worse than it had those years chasing horcruxes, that she'd had enough bad luck for a lifetime, but it was clear she was wrong.

She felt as though she had no one, she felt completely alone.

* * *

It was half an hour since Lucius was meant to be meeting Hermione in the potions lab, he and Severus starting to get worried.

"It is most unlike Hermione to be late." Stated Severus.

"Don't you think I know that?" Lucius all but shouted, the tension he was feeling too much to bare. "Something must be wrong, I have to go and find her."

"I'll come with you." Severus offered, a hint of desperation in his voice that he was not quick enough to cover.

"No. You must wait here in case she arrives, alert me if she does." He practically ordered, his demeanour suddenly returning to the commander he had been amongst Voldemort's ranks. With that, he quickly marched to the nearest floo and went straight home.

"Lika!" He called out, perhaps a little too forcefully.

She was there in a flash, concern written on her face. "Yes master."

"Is Hermione here?" He asked, attempting to sound calmer.

"Yes, in Miss Andromeda's old room."

His breath caught it his throat. She knows. She knows, and he wasn't there, and she was all alone.

"Thank you." He said before quickly apparating to the other side of the manor, outside the door of his old sister-in-law's room.

He knocked firmly on the door. No response. He flung it open, sure he had cracked the wood with the force it smashed into the wall but not caring, he had to find her.

His heart sunk when he saw Hermione curled motionless on the floor, a music box clutched to her chest, it's sorrow tune the only sound in the room. He ran to her, dropping to his knees as he scooped her into his arms. She was breathing, thank Merlin, and she seemed to be awake, although the life from her eyes was gone. She looked up at him slowly, her cheeks streaked with dry tears, her body slumped in exhaustion.

"I've got you." He whispered, knowing his voice would crack should he try and speak any louder. "I'm here."

"Lucius." She smiled, leaning her head against his chest, seeming to relax as she clutched the box more tightly to her. Hermione stared into his eyes, seemingly searching for something until her face relaxed. "I love you" She breathed against his neck as she pulled herself closer to him, letting the box fall from her lap, it's song finally stopping.

The moments stretched out as he knelt on the floor, shuddering slightly with Hermione in his arms, until eventually he managed to say the words, hoping she would hear.

"And I you."


	19. Family Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to get this out. Didn't help that I was on holiday without my laptop so had to write it on my phone, but I've been dreading doing this one for weeks. Hope I still did it justice though, and, if not, hopefully the next few will make up for it.
> 
> Thanks again to my Beta, Mari681, for all her help with this chapter.

Lucius sat in his room, book in hand, but yet unable to read. It had been three hours since he'd brought Hermione to his bed and she'd been sleeping soundly there since. A part of him was overjoyed to hear her true feelings for him, but he found those emotions being overshadowed by his worry for her well being. He wasn't entirely sure how she had found out the truth before they'd used the porion, but assumed she must have put the pieces together as he had, albeit most likely triggered by being in her mothers, Andromedas', old room, perhaps the music box she had been clutching which now sat on the table next to where Hermione slept.

His head jerked up as he heard the sheets rustle, Hermione's eyes slowly blinking open.

"Lucius." She sighed with a smile as she spotted him.

"Hermione." He smiled back, making his way to sit softly on the bed beside her. "How are you feeling?"

"I worked it out." Was all Hermione said, as if it were explanation enough. She didn't sound at all as bothered by her revelation as Lucius was expecting, he might even go so far as to say she seemed happy.

"I know, and I'm sorry I wasn't there, I'm sorry you were alone when you found out the truth."

Realisation dawned on her face almost instantly, her superior intellect picking up on what his kind words covered."So you already knew." She said matter of factly, a hint of anger seeping into her voice, the edge of happiness that had been present before dissipating.

"Yes. I worked it out when we were in Sweden." Lucius admitted, finding it difficult to meet her now scrutinizing stare but forcing himself to do so.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked, obviously trying hard to contain the rage that Lucius had no doubt was building within her.

"I was unsure as to whether it was the truth or not." He tried to explain.

"What? Couldn't believe I could possibly be a pureblood?" She spat out rather acidly. Lucius could see she regretted the words as soon as she said them, but they stung him nevertheless, an anger starting to grow in him that in the past he might have struggled to subdue.

"No. I did not want to tell you myself, I thought that the only way you would actually believe your parentage was if you discovered it for yourself." He stated through ever so slightly clenched teeth. "Do you really still think of me like that? Like the monster I used to be?"

Hermione leant up and kissed him softly, her hand coming to wind in his hair, pulling him to her. Lucius kissed her back with a low moan, her kiss answer enough.

When she pulled away he could see the anger was gone from her, as it was from him. They both calmed the storm within each other, a task no one else had ever been able to do.

"I suppose it was the only way I would have ever believed it." Hermione admitted. "Thank you, Lucius, and I'm sorry."

He accepted her apology with another kiss, her lips so close to his own that he was unable to resist. He had to force himself to pull away, they had important matters still to discuss, feeling her sweet body quivering under his would, regrettably, have to wait.

"And how do you feel about it?" Lucius asked tentatively, hoping his question wouldn't bring back the state he had found her in earlier.

"Good. Overjoyed really. I mean at first it was a shock, and of course I'm sad about losing yet another set of parents, and finding out that everything about who I thought I was wasn't real..." She trailed off, her words clearly still stinging her raw emotions, but she pushed on despite it. "But now I have a mother again, and what could be better than that?"

* * *

Hermione was quick to take action in order to find out for sure whether or not she was, in fact, Andromeda's daughter. Although they should now be able to open the chest, having hopefully fulfilled the condition, Hermione wanted to try the polyjuice first. She insisted that it was purely for research, considering the knowledge on whether it would work or not was lacking, but Lucius suspected she just wanted to be doubly sure, something he too he was sure he would crave.

They went straight to Hogwarts, where Severus met them in the labs. If Hermione cared that Lucius had told Severus, she hid it well, and even seemed pleased that he knew, a fact that managed to irritate Lucius somewhat.

Hermione decided she shouldn't take the potion because finding out whether it worked or not might not be obvious if she did. So, before Lucius got the chance to form the words, Severus volunteered to take it. The potion was perfectly brewed, naturally, and, once the hair was added, an aroma of mint, cut grass, and something Lucius could only describe as enticingly poisonous, wafted up from the now deep red liquid.

"A most interesting colour." Severus noted. "Very uncommon in fact."

"Does it represent anything?" Hermione enquired, peering warily at it.

"It typically indicates the person possesses great magical power and determination." Lucius answered. "Ironically enough, it is believed that Salazar Slytherin himself produced the same colour, much to Godrics' dismay, having his house colour appear in his Slytherin foes' potion must have been somewhat aggravating for him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow as if she would contest being compared to the wizard, but then simply shrugged, seeming content with the observation. Clearly spending time with some other than her old Slytherin classmates had opened her eyes to their better qualities.

Severus wasted no time in taking the potion, seeming to enjoy it a little too much, and, soon enough, there were two Hermione's in the room, something that Lucius found rather overwhelming, a particular part of him especially. It didn't help when the two gave each other a sly smile and both sent winks at Lucius, the pair of torturers, and he decided he would have to get Hermione back for that later.

Hermione, in her quest to make certain, decided that somehow her own hair could have gotten mixed up with the child's hair and so insisted that they open the chest as well. She pulled it out of her pocket and enlarged it, carefully placing it on a desk.

She inhaled and exhaled deeply, before using the spell they had found in the library. There was a second or two where nothing happened, a collective feeling of worry building between the three, but much to their relief, several locks could be heard clicking and the lid opened.

Inside they found exactly what they were hoping for. A birth certificate, fingerprints, a lock of hair, details about the adoptive parents, and another letter from Ted, further confirming that Hermione was the child. She said she didn't think she had the strength to read it so, before Severus could beat him to it again, Lucius offered to read it out to her.

_Our dearest Hermione,_

_If you ever read this, know that you are loved, so very much, and that sending you away broke our hearts. We hope you had a good, safe, life and that one day we will see you again, our beautiful little girl._

_All our love,_

_Mum and Dad_

Hermione had tears in her eyes when he finished reading it out, but she was smiling too, so happy that she finally knew the truth.

* * *

"So, when are you going to tell Andromeda?" Lucius asked.

"Well, I'm meant to be seeing her in a couple of days for Christmas so - oh fuck!" She suddenly cursed.

"And what is it that's caused you to use a word I've only ever heard you say when part of me was inside you?" Lucius asked with a sly smirk.

A smile managed to fight its way through the angry face she was struggling to give him, eventually giving up trying to look insulted with a sigh. "I'm supposed to be cooking us Christmas dinner and I've completely forgotten to buy any groceries, what with everything that's been happening. Oh, and I've just remembered and I don't currently have a house to do it in either." She said exasperatedly.

Lucius looked a little hurt at her words, so she quickly reassured him. "I said I didn't have a house Lucius, but I'd like to think I have a home."

"Mm, yes." He agreed slightly stiffly, looking rather taken aback that she'd noticed the disappointment that flashed through his eyes, ashamed that he was still so scared of losing her.

"Well you could invite her here." He said suddenly, taking her by surprise.

"Andromeda? To the Manor?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Think what you may, but Andromeda and I are not on bad terms. I believe my actions since the war have helped appease any bad feelings she may have had towards me because of my...previous associations."

"I suppose she hasn't outright expressed a dislike for you recently." Hermione mused, thinking back on all her conversations with her friend, no, her mother, in the last five years.

"Well, then it's settled." Lucius said cheerily. "You can invite them here, I'm sure they'll enjoy it, especially with Severus coming, and Draco will be here, plus he's invited-" He stopped, face dropping slightly.

"Narcissa." Hermione finished for him, saying the woman's name in a strangely happy tone, seeming to confuse Lucius if the odd things his eyebrows were doing was any indication. "I don't mind, don't worry, I'm actually rather fond of her."

"What?" Was all Lucius seemed to be able to say, Hermione almost having to stop a laugh from escaping at his expression.

"Despite the beliefs she seemed to have about blood purity, I've always admired her really. She always seemed so strong, doing all she could to protect those she loved. She even protected me once, in a way."

"When?" He asked, still a little taken aback.

"In third year I think it was, yes, the summer before third year. I was in Diagon Alley buying some books when I bumped into Draco, Crabbe and Goyle, well to be more accurate, they bumped into me…"

She could see the regret and pain in Lucius eyes at hearing about his son's treatment of her in his youth, so she quickly reassured him. "To be honest, Draco didn't seem as interested in taunting me as the others were, he even tried to lure them away by suggesting I wasn't worth the time, but his words seemed to have little effect on the brutes."

"I was about to send a couple of hexes their way but before I could, Narcissa appeared, she reprimanded them and sent them on their way and, after giving me an apologetic smile, she was about to leave, when Goyles' father appeared."

Lucius almost growled at hearing the man mentioned, clearly despising him.

"He questioned her about disciplining his son, told her it was not the pureblood thing to do, to protect someone like me, but she stood her ground, told him it was the proper thing to do, and sent him on his way too, looking pretty ashamed may I add."

"She is a Black after all, from my experience they all tend to be pretty fierce." He said, sending her a knowing smile.

"Indeed." She agreed, strangely proud to be associated with the name. "Well anyway, she apologized to me again, even mentioned that she'd heard about how well I was doing at school, and told me that if Draco was giving me too much trouble that I should owl her. It almost made me feel bad for punching him…"

Lucius laughed, loud and strong. "Well that explains why she wasn't very sympathetic to him when it happened. I believe she even said something along the lines of you doing her job for her." He said, chuckling all the while.

"Well then, let's just hope her feelings towards me don't change when she finds out about, well, us."

"Ah, I'm sure she will not mind too much, I expect she will be far too distracted for that."

"What about? Andromeda being there? If she agrees to come that is." Hermione said, her worry that Andromeda would not come evident in her eyes.

"No, not Andromeda." He said with a mischievous grin. "You will just have to wait and see."

* * *

Despite Lucius reassuring words to Hermione, he was indeed a little nervous about the conversation he was about to have with Narcissa. Draco had offered to talk to his mother instead but Lucius had insisted, it was proper that he told her in advance and that he did it himself, so, regretfully, that was what he was going to do.

He flooed to the estate in Italy and found Narcissa down by the water. She was reading a book on long distance apparition, a skill that few knew her to be a master of.

"Hello 'Cissa." He greeted gently.

"Ah Lucius, to what do I owe the pleasure." She said, her words not at all sarcastic as some may have expected. "Come, sit with me, doesn't the lake look beautiful at this time of year?"

"Very, I remember you were always fond of it." He smiled.

"So, I'm guessing this isn't an entirely social visit?" Narcissa asked with a knowing expression.

"No." He said nervously. What was it with this damn constant nervousness? He never used to be like this. "I have some news that I thought I ought to tell you before tomorrow."

"I'm intrigued." She said, closing her book and leaning in closer. "Found yourself a new woman at last have you? It has been, what? Four years now, it's about time."

Lucius couldn't contain the shock from showing a little on his face. "How did you know?"

"Woman's intuition." She smirked. "And, perhaps, Lika may have let it slip that you were seeing someone when she visited last week."

"And you don't mind?" He asked tentatively, noting that in future he ought not to tell Lika anything he didn't want repeated.

"Of course not. If anything, I'm happy for you."

"So you know who it is then?" He said, still trying not to sound too surprised.

"No, but I expect Draco would have said something to me if he thought her to be unsuitable, so I assume you've made a good choice."

"Well it's a little complicated…" He admitted, subconsciously running a hand through his hair.

"How so? If you like her, what's complicated?" Narcissa asked. Despite their difficult past, she seemed to see things so simply these days, so sensibly.

"Well you know her, and she's younger, quite a bit younger."

Narcissa laughed at that, bright and cheerful. "I'm not even going to pretend I'm surprised Lucius. Well then, who is it?"

Lucius' heartbeat seemed to pick up pace of its own accord, his robes suddenly feeling too tight around his neck. He knew he didn't need Narcissa's approval to be with Hermione, but worried that if she disliked the idea it would likely drive a wedge between Draco and him again. It wasn't just the relationship that he was worried about either, he was going to have to tell Narcissa about Hermione's familial ties to her too.

"Hermione Granger." He finally said with a sigh, bracing himself for her reaction.

"Oh, my little niece? I can't-" She cut herself off.

"How did you know?" "I shouldn't have said that." They said simultaneously, followed by a synchronized "You know?!"

"We worked it out yesterday." Said Lucius. "Andromeda gave Hermione a case asking her to find her missing child and Hermione finally worked it out. How is it you know?"

If Narcissa was surprised she didn't show it, having always been the epitome of calm and cool. "I've pretty much known since the day I first set eyes on her, she shared such a striking resemblance to Andy when she was that age. At first I thought it was just a strange coincidence, but, as time went on, I became more and more sure of it. When Andy came to see me last week I was certain, she told me all about the case she'd given Hermione and I had to contain a laugh at what a coincidence it was."

"But surely at first you thought it to be a ludicrous suspicion?" Lucius questioned, marvelling at his ex-wives detective skills.

"Well, when we were younger, when Andy left, I knew she kept seeing Rodolphus, I even helped keep Bellatrix from finding out once or twice. We used to see each other secretly sometimes but that abruptly stopped after one strange occasion. She'd come to me very sad, told me we couldn't see each other any more because it was too risky, and if mother or Bella found out I'd probably be disowned too. I could tell it was something else though, noticed the way she kept putting her hand on her stomach, so, when she wasn't looking, I cast a pregnancy testing spell."

"And she was pregnant?" Lucius asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes."

"Why did you never tell me about it?" He asked, the hurt in his voice taking him by surprise.

"Well because, even months later, no one knew anything about it, and nine months on, Andromeda still just had the one child."

"I suppose that makes sense." He conceded. "So you know who the father is?"

"Unfortunately yes. I deduced that if Andromeda and Ted no longer had the baby there must be a reason for it, and hiding the child from a murderous Death Eater father seemed like a legitimate cause."

Although her words referred to Rodolphus, Lucius felt them sting him too.

"Now, now, Lucius, you know you were never truly a murderous Death Eater." Narcissa interjected, still so quick at reading his thoughts. "You were a fool, though." She added for good measure, never one to let his ego get too big.

"I suppose I will admit to that." He agreed.

They sat in silence for a while, both taking in the view, feeling the sharp breeze that rolled off the water as they thought over each other's words.

"It must have been hard for you, seeing her." Lucius said, Narcissa lazily wrenching her eyes away from the water and back to his.

"How so?" She asked innocently, although he suspected she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Well, knowing she was most likely family, but still treating her with disdain, seeing how Draco behaved towards her, when she was tortured in our home…"

"Yes." She admitted with a sombre smile, breaking her gaze away and back to the water which was now turning grey as the clouds rolled in. "But I had to keep up the charade didn't I, to keep us safe. I let my guard down once and Goyle almost caught me out for it, so I learned my lesson early on."

"At the start of Draco's third year, in Diagon Alley." Lucius said.

"How did you know about that?" Narcissa asked, genuine curiosity evident in her eyes.

"Hermione was telling me about it, she said she thought you were a very strong witch. She admired you."

"Well, I like her more already." Narcissa smiled, always having been one to love a compliment, especially about her personality, those on her appearance meaning little to her, despite what many may think.

The clouds opened then, heavy rain falling from the sky, and before Lucius had a chance to blink, Narcissa had already disapparated into the house without a sound, book in hand.

"Damn witch." He muttered as he too disapparated inside, significantly wetter than Narcissa who, he expected, didn't have a drop of rain on her.

"You could have taken me with you." Lucius grumbled as he performed a drying spell.

"I was worried about splinching that pretty face of yours." Narcissa said in a sweet tone, anyone who didn't know her probably would have thought she was being truthful.

"I'm sure you were." Lucius laughed. "It's what you married me for."

"Ah, now don't forget about the money." She teased.

He was pleased they could still laugh together, clearly his confession had done nothing to ruin the comfortable friendship that had developed between them since separating.

"How could I?" He smiled, noticing his watch as he did. "Speaking of money, I have an appointment with a goblin who doesn't like to be kept waiting, so I'm afraid I must take my leave."

"Of course, see you tomorrow Lucius." She said with a small wave. "Oh, and thank you, for letting me know."

"You are most welcome." He said as he again entered the floo. "And thank you." He smiled as he disappeared to Gringotts.

He hoped his meeting with the goblin would go as smoothly as his visit to Narcissa had, but, knowing goblins, did not expect it would.

* * *

Hermione had tried to put this conversation off for as long as possible but, since she no longer had any cases to busy herself with, and Lucius had gone to talk to Narcissa, she decided that it was time she went to tell Andromeda.

She was glad that when she arrived, Teddy wasn't home, despite it being the School holidays, as Neville had taken him to see some particularly rare flowers. A trip she was surprised Teddy had agreed to, herbology not being much of an interest of his. He would find out about her soon enough of course, but she suspected it would be better to tell them one at a time.

Andromeda welcomed her in as warmly as she always had, everything felt the same in spite of what Hermione now knew, and she really hoped it would stay that way.

"Is something the matter, Hermione?" Andromeda asked as soon as they were settled in the cosy living room, a small fire burning in the hearth. She always seemed to know what Hermione was thinking as if she were, well, her daughter.

"Well, there's something I have to tell you, actually." Admitted Hermione, suddenly realizing she'd been staring at a tea pot as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "Regarding your case."

The warm smile on Andromeda's face wobbled only slightly at the news. "Oh, I was wondering how you were getting on with that." She said nonchalantly, as if they were talking about something trivial. It was obvious Andromeda was as nervy as Hermione when it came to the subject, but probably for completely different reasons. "So what have you found out?" She asked apprehensively.

Hermione's voice seemed to be lost, her mind unable to think anything coherent. She'd gone over this conversation many times but now seemed to forget everything she'd planned. Grasping at straws she decided the best tactic would be to go through all the clues, facts and discoveries logically in a hope that Andromeda would slowly work it out for herself. Yes, that sounded like the most optimal choice.

Her voice however, thought otherwise.

"Everything." She blurted out, logic be damned.

Andromeda did not react as Hermione had anticipated. She had been expecting questions, wasn't this why Andromeda had hired her in the first place, to find out everything for her?

Andromeda had tears rolling down her cheeks but her smile stayed in place, in fact it widened, the happiness reflected in her eyes.

That's when it hit Hermione. She knew. Andromeda already knew.

Hermione started crying to, managing to get out a "You know?" through her deep breaths.

Andromeda seemed unable to speak, simply nodding and pulling Hermione into a hug. They sat like that for a while, each clinging to the other until they had both calmed down enough to talk.

"How long?" Hermione asked in a cracked voice.

"Not long." Andromeda admitted, absent mindedly stroking Hermione's curls. "A week or two."

"How?" Was all Hermione could ask, so full of emotions that her voice contained no trace of any.

"I was thinking about the case, all logical options, and it wasn't until I went to visit my sister that I finally realized, when I explained all my thoughts aloud to someone else. For these last few years you have been a daughter to me, and now, to find out you are truly mine, that I have had the chance to spend so many days with you, it has made me the happiest I have ever been." She said, her voice clearly starting to waver again. "I'm so sorry that I abandoned you..."

Hermione started to cry again, so flooded was she with relief and a twisted mix of happiness and regret. Andromeda held her again as she cried, until once again Hermione had the strength to speak.

"You didn't abandon me, you saved me. And now we have each other back forever." Hermione said adamantly. She decided that she must not look to the past, but the future, if she were to find the happiness, the family, she longed for.


	20. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Struggled quite a bit with this chapter so apologies if it isn't quite up to the standard of the others.
> 
> Thanks, as always, goes to my Beta Mari681, who stops my story from turning into a grammatical nightmare.
> 
> And thank you to everyone who favourites and reviews, your kind words really help motivate me to keep on writing.

Hermione and Andromeda knew that there was one topic they really needed to discuss, a subject which had been rapidly avoided by both whenever their conversation seemed in danger or bringing it up. It was, somewhat predictably, the big elephant, or more accurately, big death eater, in the room, Rodolphus.

Hermione was the first to gather her courage and finally broached the topic, gently asking Andromeda about the eldest Lestrange.

"Your father was not always the abomination he became." Andromeda started strong, her voice wavering only slightly. "I want you to know, no, I need you to know, that he was once a good man."

Hermione could only seem to muster a weak nod, so Andromeda continued bravely. "He used to be so happy, so uplifting, bringing joy to everyone who met him. It was as if he lived in his own world, always so oblivious to the harsh realities of life, in only the way a pureblood prince can be." She mused, a sad smile on her face. "I was so overjoyed to be marrying him, finally content to accept the outdated practices that had led to our engagement. But, when Frank left...well I'm sure you know what happened. It devastated me, having Bella, a sister I so loved yet feared, taking him away from me, it drove me to do what I did."

"I did not realise what my actions would do to Rodolphus though, did not think of what consequences they would have further than the rage that I had wanted to make my mother feel. It destroyed him to see me leave with one of the muggles he'd been taught to hate, but until that day never had. Sometimes I wonder that if I hadn't left, if I had married whoever I was next betrothed to, if Rodolphus would have stayed the brilliant man he was and not have willingly let the darkness take him."

Hermione was about to open her mouth to protest what her mother said, but Andromeda beat her to it. "I know." She said softly. "There is no good in hindsight, and besides, I think Bellatrix would have dragged him down with her regardless. I suppose I just made her job all the easier."

"But why did you keep going back to him once you were with Edward, once you'd had Tonks?" Hermione asked, her voice lined with confusion, a slight desperation, a rare thing indeed for the witch.

"Because I loved him." Andromeda said, sounding so sure of herself. "He was my everything, my reason for living, and once I was gone, once I was without him, I could hardly bear it." She said with sorrow. "Teddy saw it, understood it, he even encouraged that I go to him, because those few hours with Rodolphus made all the pain in my life disappear, the loss of my family, the world I knew. I wouldn't expect you to understand, how I could have loved a man like that."

"I understand more than you know." Said Hermione, grasping the opportunity that was presented to her to tell her mother about Lucius, a task she knew she must do.

Andromeda looked at her questioningly and it took all of Hermione's Gryffindor courage to say what she had to. "Because I love a man like that too."

* * *

"Who?" Andromeda asked, her brow furrowing slightly.

"Lucius Malfoy." Hermione said, hoping she sounded as proud and firm as she thought she did.

Andromeda looked as though she wanted to say something a mother would say, her mouth opening and closing, but nothing coming out as she retracted whatever words were on her lips. Hermione had timed this well, Andromeda could not argue over what her daughter was feeling, not when she had just confessed something very similar herself.

"Lucius Malfoy." Andromeda said aloud, as if she hoped she had heard Hermione wrong. "You love him."

"Yes." Said Hermione, bracing herself for some sort of argument or words of warning.

Andromeda looked as if she were about to protest but, much to Hermione's surprise, finally nodded in acceptance.

"Does he know?" She asked with concern in her eyes. "Who you truly are?"

"He does, he worked it out before I did, gave me the strength I needed to accept it." Hermione confirmed, willing her words to convince her mother to accept what she was saying.

Andromeda nodded again, a content nod, as if her approval of Hermione's choice was increasing. "So he must know about Rodolphus too..." She said, her words clearly insinuating something, and Hermione had to use all the rationality she had to stop herself from getting angry.

"No, he is not still in contact with him." Hermione stated as calmly as she could. "And, actually..." She started, unsure of whether or not she should let Andromeda know about her fathers current whereabouts. "...Rodolphus has been captured, he's being held at the ministry, and I plan to go see him. Soon."

Andromeda's eyes widened, a series of emotions flashing through her eyes, a desire of her own flashing briefly in them, but her motherly instinct seemed the most predominant. "You can't go and see him. He's a madman these days! You can't be serious?" She scolded.

"You sound just like Lucius." Hermione complained, having heard a very similar reaction when she'd broached the subject with him a few days ago.

"Well, I like Lucius more already." Andromeda grumbled.

"I'll tell you the what I told him." Hermione said firmly. "I need to see Rodolphus, to speak with him, just once, before I can fully come to terms with everything. It is simply something I have decided I must do."

There was a small frown on Andromeda's face, but it was clear she did not want to argue with her daughter so soon after reconnecting with her, a fact Hermione had been betting on. It was clear that some of Lucius' more, cunning, qualities had rubbed off on her, and oddly, she revelled in it, having to surpress a sly smile that was itching at the corner of her lips.

"We'll discuss this later." Andromeda eventually conceded, knowing she would not win this particular argument. "There's something else isn't there?" She asked, again surprising Hermione at how well her mother could read her. Obviously being cunning was not something she got entirely from Lucius.

"Yes, actually." Hermione confirmed, much more confident that Andromeda would accept the idea than she had been when she first arrived. "I was wondering, well, that is, Lucius and I, would like to invite you and Teddy to the manor for Christmas tomorrow. Draco's coming, and your sister, and Severus." She added. hoping their presence would tempt her mother into the potentially uncomfortable situation.

Andromeda seemed able to bring up almost every excuse she could to not go to the manor, ranging from the potential of coming into contact with dark artefacts, to giving the house elves too much extra work. Eventually, Hermione managed to get Andromeda to agree, if slightly begrudgingly, conceding that Teddy would probably be thrilled to see everyone.

Hermione left with a cheerful farewell some time later, pleased that she had finally talked to her mother, learning more about her father and the circumstances of her creation. She was overjoyed that everything seemed to be running so smoothly. However, it was rare for things in her life to go so well, so she couldn't quite shake the feeling that something would go horribly wrong sometime soon...

* * *

Somehow, much to Draco's surprise, Hermione had managed to get Andromeda and Teddy to join them for Christmas. His aunt had been friendly to all of them, he and Narcissa especially, but he did notice her sending Lucius a warning scowl every now and again. He thus concluded Hermione must have told Andromeda about her relationship with his father, and that, to some extent, she must have accepted it. He doubted she would be here if she didn't.

Clearly Andromeda treated Teddy as her own son, introducing Draco as his cousin and Lucius as his uncle. Obviously the boy had met Narcissa many times before as he bounded into her arms, shouting "Cissa!" as he did.

Lunch was to be served first, so they all made their way to, not the grand dining room as many would expect, but a much smaller room that overlooked the grounds. It was as close to cosy as the Manor tended to get. His father, Hermione, and he had spent the morning decorating, something the elves had always done since his early childhood years, and the experience was one Draco would treasure for a long time. There was a tall tree Lucius had hand picked from the grounds in the centre of the room, glass baubles and twigs of Holly floating near the high ceiling, intermingled with enchanted snow that disappeared before it hit the table. The room looked very festive, the epitome of good taste, and although all the decorations were beautiful, Draco's favourite had to be the miniature Hogwarts Express which ran around the room, it's tracks winding and twisting between the furniture, floating high above the room.

Lucius sat at one head of the table with Hermione to his left and Draco on his right. His mother sat at the other head, Severus on her right, Andromeda on her left. Little Teddy was sat between Draco and his aunt, beaming at his new found older cousin, an expression Draco couldn't help but mirror back.

There was just a few seconds of awkward silence before a nice, steady conversation broke out, everyone eager to catch up with long lost, and newly found, family.

He noticed his mother seemed to be rather enthralled by Severus. He'd always known they'd been close but something seemed distinctly different, a look in the pair's eyes that he often suspected were in his own when talking to Harry. He couldn't help but wonder if his father had his suspicions about the two, and, if he did, how he would react, having always been one to get jealous.

He chanced a look at his father and his question was answered almost immediately when he saw Hermione and Lucius sending each other looks that he was sure were not appropriate for a family meal. Draco quickly had to look away before they turned him off his food, for Merlin's sake, they looked about to rip each other's clothes off.

Draco turned his attention to Teddy who was looking around the room in awe, seemingly transfixed by the train. The boy had to be about six, but he seemed old for his age, a trait Draco was sure was a result of losing his parents so young.

Draco didn't often speak to children so was a bit at a loss of what to talk about with one, finally settling upon a topic he knew well, Hogwarts.

"So, Teddy, how is your magic coming along?" He asked.

"Good." He said with a gap toothed smile. "I'm a metamorphmagus like my mummy was, and I like potions lots too." He answered smoothly, again astounding Draco at the boys mental maturity, he wasn't sure he'd be able to pronounce metamorphmagus with as much ease.

"I bet you can't wait to get to Hogwarts then?"

"Uh-huh. Don't know why I have to wait so long..." He grumbled, the child in him showing through.

"Ah well it's not too long." Draco said with a laugh. "What house would you like to be in?"

Teddy seemed to ponder on the question before answering. "Not sure." He said bluntly. "My parents were in Gryffindor and Hufflypuff." He recalled, Draco having to surpress a laugh at Teddy calling the house Hufflypuff. "So Andy thinks I will get put in one of those, but I dunno..."

"Slytherin?" Draco suggested, despite knowing his cousin would most likely hate the idea.

"Maybe." Teddy mused, much to Draco's surprise. "Andy was in Slytherin...and the rest of my family too." He commented, referring to the Blacks and Malfoys as his family taking Draco aback slightly, although not unpleasantly so. "Maybe Ravenclaw." Teddy added, smiling at his own idea.

"Ravenclaw is a good house." Draco admitted with ease, having often thought the house full of intellects was far better than the other two.

"Full of lots of smart witches and wizwards." Teddy nodded.

"It definitely is, although, you look so much like Potter that the sorting hat might just put you in Gryffindor." Draco teased.

"I can change how I look." Teddy said gleefully, obviously wanting to show off his talents.

"You can do that?" Draco asked with intrigue, curious to see the extent of his cousins abilities.

In response to Draco's question Teddy's short dark hair turned into long, platinum blonde locks, his eyes from a bright green to a stormy grey, the rest of his face remaining unchanged. Everyone at the table seemed to do a double take when they glanced at him, this boy which now looked almost like a miniature version of Draco, could easily have been Lucius' second son.

"Edward Remus Tonks, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that at the table?" Andromeda asked with exasperation, although it was obviously not said with full meaning behind it, no one could really be angry at something so incredible.

"That's amazing!" Said Draco, bringing the childlike shine once again to Teddy's eyes. "You look just like me."

"That's good, I'd like to be like you Draco." Said Teddy as he tucked into the Christmas pudding which had just popped onto their plates, oblivious to how much his words had touched his older cousin.

* * *

Everyone had retired to the library after the meal, but Lucius was the last to join them, due to finding his ex-sister-in-law blocking his path with a raised eyebrow. He couldn't recall being quite this scared since before Voldemort had died.

"I think we need to have a chat, Lucius." Andromeda said in a tone far less malicious than he had anticipated, perhaps this would not go as badly as he had initially thought.

They passed the library on the way to his study, Hermione giving Andromeda a slight scowl, and him as much apology as one could convey through only their eyes.

Lucius settled into his chair, trying not to look too haughty yet not appear submissive, something he felt he had managed to achieve perfectly.

"I always used to like you Lucius" Andromeda began. "Even recommended you to be a prefect back when we were in Slytherin together, and I was pleased that Narcissa was to marry you." She started happily. "But..." She added, a word Lucius had grown to dislike very early on in his life. "You changed, you did unspeakable things, your actions hurt your family Lucius, my sister, my nephew. I will not have you hurt my daughter too."

"I assure you I-"

"Your words mean little to me Lucius." Andromeda interrupted coldly, pure Black venom in her voice. "One who is so good with words as you can never be wholly trusted." She said, reminding him of the woman he had known in the past, fierce and powerful, not so dissimilar to Bellatrix at times.

"I love her." He said simply, the words more true than any he had said before, something he hoped Andromeda would be able to see.

She looked into his eyes, her own eerily similar to Hermiones', and seemed to nod slightly to herself, a sign of approval he hoped.

"You had better not be telling me a lie Lucius." She said as she stood, clearly deciding that their conversation was now over, taking Lucius aback slightly as it was normally he who dictated these sorts of things. "Because I assure you that Bellatrix wasn't the only Black sister with a talent for torture."

* * *

Lucius re-entered the library not long after Andromeda returned, himself looking uncharacteristically shaken as he poured himself a rather large glass of fire whiskey, compared to Andromeda's cool composure as she now sat talking to Draco, seemingly oblivious to the daggers Hermione was sending her with her eyes. Severus almost chuckled aloud at how domestic it all seemed.

He had talked briefly with Teddy when the boy had unceremoniously climbed onto his lap whilst he talked with Narcissa. His eyes had returned to their original green but he had kept the blonde hair, telling Severus he planned to have it stay that way. It made the boy look eerily like a Malfoy, a fact he was sure Lucius would be pleased about. Teddy seemed to be intelligent and obviously had an aptitude for potions, Severus deciding he liked him and was now looking forward to teaching the boy in the future. It would be nice to actually have a student who could meet his expectations, something he had not yet experienced since Hermione had left Hogwarts.

He liked to see how good Narcissa was with the child, as she had been with Draco, loved the way her eyes lit up when she talked to the boy. In fact, he loved an awful lot of things about her. He had always admired her beauty, her presence, the way she held herself high, but as he had gotten to know her better through Lucius, he realised she possessed many qualities that were greater than those everyone saw on the outside. He loved her strength, her magical prowess, her wit and intelligence, her bravery. When he was with Narcissa he felt content, happy, perhaps he would even go so far as to say he felt complete.

It was then that he realised he'd be staring at her with a slight lopsided smile, a facial expression he was sure he had never shown before, the muscles feeling strange being used for the first time. Narcissa laughed lightly as she noticed him. "Watch out Severus, the wind might change direction and then you'll be stuck looking happy forever." She teased.

"We couldn't have that, now could we?" He drawled, returning his features to his typically stoic look.

"Ah, now there's the Severus I know and love." She smiled.

Love. The word made his insides tingle and his chest seemed to tighten. What was happening to him? Did he have some sort of medical condition? Lucius hadn't slipped something into his drink again had he?

It was then that he remembered what this uncomfortable feeling was, so long was it since he had felt it, back when Lily was alive. It was with dread and hope that Severus realised that he had once again fallen prey to the most inconvenient of all human emotions that was love. Clearly, since Voldemort's downfall, he had become far too soft.

It was upon this realisation that at least a dozen loud pops of apparation could be heard from the Manor's gates and suddenly an old house elf, his coat covered in a light sprinkling of snow, appeared in the room, a look of worry and urgency etched on his face.

Lucius rose immediately from his spot at Hermione's side. "Osbert, what is it? Who is here?" He asked, the worry on his face only visible to those who knew him well. Unfortunately for Lucius, that included over half of the room.

"It is the Aurors, Master, Harry Potter too." Osbert replied, Severus noticing the flicker of hope, confusion, then worry flash across Draco's face, a malicious frown appearing on Hermione's."They demand entry."

"And what reason do those cretins have for disturbing us?" Lucius questioned, a rage clearly building within him.

"They would not say." The elf replied calmly, old enough to know his masters anger was not directed at, nor would be taken out on, him. "They have a warrant."

"Let them in." Lucius said with clenched teeth as he stalked towards the door, clearly having to restrain himself from smashing various objects on his way out, most likely for Teddy's sake. Hermione was quick to follow him, as was Draco, and Severus found himself not far behind, knowing that Narcissa and Andromeda were more than capable of handling things by themselves should things go badly.

Lucius opened the door to a group of at least twenty aurors, Potter at the front, surrounding his home with their wands drawn.

"What is the meaning of this Harry?" Hermione questioned angrily, taking her friend aback, although whether his surprise was at her presence or the rage in her voice Severus could not be sure.

"We're here for him." Harry said as he pointed at Lucius, visibly flinching when he saw Draco was there too.

"For what reason?" Hermione practically shouted, her magical energy so tense that the air was almost crackling.

"Rodolphus Lestrange has escaped from the ministry." Harry stated. "And we're taking Lucius to prison for helping him."


	21. Blind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would like to give the biggest thank you to my beta Mari681 who had some great ideas and stopped this one from going horribly wrong.

Hermione's mind was racing, her body full of so many thoughts and emotions that she didn't know what to feel, how to react. She couldn't bring herself to care if Lucius had helped Rodolphus escape or not, knew that no matter what had happened, her feelings towards him could never be diminished. A hatred, however, was building within her. How could Harry do this to her? How could he take Lucius away from her? 'Because he doesn't even know you love him...' A rational voice inside her said, but she chose to ignore it, knew her closest friend would have been able to recognise the signs, at least, she hoped he had anyway.

Hermione barely registered the events happening around her she was so overwhelmed. Draco had drawn his wand, Severus was restraining him, spells started to fly out around her in a blur, chaos seemed to be descending all around. Suddenly there was a burst of blue light, and Lucius voice rang loud and clear through the commotion. Hermione rallied around the sound, using it to bring her back to reality.

"Silence." Lucius called, his ward effectively ending the exchange of spells. "I will go willingly." He stated, and Hermione realised he must understand that if he showed any resistance, put up even the smallest fight, it would give the ministry a true reason to send him to Azkaban.

"No, Father! What are you doing?" Shouted Draco, his voice full of despair.

"Do not worry, my son. I am sure I will be released when the ministry no longer needs to use me as a scapegoat for their own failings." Lucius drawled, almost certain that his words would likely rile a response from some of the aurors, making him look superior when he remained calm.

His plan worked when an auror near the back shot a stinging hex at him. He merely waved it off with a flick of his wand, not even deigning to look at its' caster, the attempt was so feeble.

"Enough!" Shouted Harry, glaring at the auror who'd cast the spell. "You, you're suspended." He said, pointing to the man. "Malfoy," He turned back, facing Lucius once more. "Please come with me."

"May I say a few words to my family? I may not be able to see them for quite some time." Lucius asked, knowing his words would strike a chord within Harry.

"You have a minute." He conceded, his eyes briefly darting to Draco and Hermione who's whose own were filled with fiery rage.

"Draco, please take care of my wand while I'm gone." Lucius said, handing it to his son. "You are in charge of the estate until I return. I am sure you will be able to handle everything perfectly."

"Yes Father." Draco said proudly, clearly trusting that Lucius was not in the wrong.

That's when Lucius turned to her, and she lost herself in his eyes, the grey storm within them seeming to make her whole world stand still. "Hermione." Was all he said, knew no words were necessary, knew she would understand that she needed to trust him, to be strong.

She wanted to kiss him, to pull him upstairs, aurors be damned, but knew she couldn't, knew that exposing their relationship now would only complicate matters further.

"Lucius." Harry interrupted. "Come with us."

Hermione was sure that, if Draco had not been holding his wand, Lucius would have done considerably more than hex Harry for interrupting his farewell if the look in his eyes was anything to go by. Lucius walked straight past Harry with his head held high, and continued to the guards who would escort him to the ministry. He would do this with dignity, something that many would be unable to do if put in the same situation.

They all left with a series of pops until the only one left was Harry, standing expectantly on the doorstep. He was smiling.

Hermione heard Severus retreating behind her, pulling a protesting Draco with him, but all she could focus on was that smile. A smile she'd seen so many times before, one which had always warmed her, made her happy, but now it only invoked a toxic feeling inside. How could he be smiling at a time like this?

"Well." He said, gesturing for her to come outside.

"What?" She asked, her voice lifeless, unable to comprehend what he was talking about.

"Aren't you going to come home with me?" He asked, confusion evident on his face. "You can't stay here any more, not use the Manor as a safe house, not when it's owner has aided in the escape of the man who's after you."

"I'm not leaving." She said firmly, ignoring the rational part of her brain that told her that Harry's actions were completely normal, more than expected. Surely he'd thought this would be what she wanted, to see Lucius Malfoy behind bars.

"Why not?" He questioned, truly perplexed.

She could lie. She'd lied to him before and it had been so easy, she'd felt so little guilt, but what was the point any more? He was the last person she truly cared about in life who didn't know about Lucius and she.

"Because I love him." She said, a pleading in her eyes, hoping he would understand.

"Draco?" Harry asked, his voice strangely sad, even more confused than he had been before.

"No, not Draco." She assured him, her words removing the peculiar fear and apprehension from his face, the confusion remained.

"Who then?" He questioned, his brows furrowed.

"Lucius." Hermione said, as surely, and with as much conviction as she had told her mother the previous day.

If Hermione had been hoping Harry would understand, that her best friend had known her well enough to have suspected this before, then she would be disappointed. His face contorted into a twisted rage, his green eyes seeming to turn the deepest emerald as his anger grew.

"What has he done to you?" He practically shouted. "I'll kill the bastard! Hermione, what has he done? Are you alright?"

His concern for her helped to lessen the pain his words struck within her, but they hurt her nevertheless.

"He has done nothing." She stated as calmly as she could. "Despite his previous actions, he is a good man, a great man, and I love him, Harry."

Her words did nothing to quell his anger, only shifting attention from Lucius to herself.

"What's wrong with you Hermione? What about Ron? The Weasleys?" He asked, a true desperation in his voice.

"Nothing is wrong with me." Hermione said, gripping her wand so tightly she was sure it would snap. "Ron is a bastard, the Weasleys are blind to the truth and-"

"But he's a monster, Hermione! He tried to kill us! He stood by while you were tortured, for fucks sake, did nothing, and yet you say you love him?" He shouted, this time unable to control his emotions.

"Yes I love him. You may not understand it, but Harry, please, say you'll accept it." She pleaded, tears now running down her face. "Please don't leave me like Ron did, like my friends did, not you..."

He stood in silence, shoulders rising and falling with his heavy breaths, tears too on his own cheeks.

"I will never be able to accept it." He said, his voice sounding colder than the snow which fell upon them.

Hermione's breath hitched, and she was sure she would fall apart if it were not for the warm hand she suddenly felt in her own. She looked up to see Harry right in front of her, his eyes glistening, the smile back on his face. "But I will always accept you Hermione. I won't abandon you. You're my closest friend and always will be."

She pulled him into a hug with a sob, holding him so tight she was sure she was hurting him, and let her tears fall freely. He hugged her back for a short while, letting silence fall between them and a light sprinkling of snow form upon them, but all too soon, he pulled back.

"I have to go now." He said softly, the emotions in his eyes too many to distinguish. "And, I'm sorry."

And with that he was gone.

Hermione went back inside and closed the door. The only sound was the grand clock in the entrance hall, it's ticking all she could hear, seeming to taunt her. Suddenly she was running, hoping that if she kept moving she might be unable to think on what had just occurred.

She ran and she ran until suddenly she found herself in an unfamiliar part of the manor, a door standing before her that she thought she recognised, but could not place. Opening it cautiously she ventured inside, the curtains were drawn so she couldn't make out the room, but made her way in anyway, the floorboards creaking with every step she made. After almost tripping over the corner of a rug she decided she should probably light up the room, freezing when she finally saw what it was.

This was it, the room which brought back memories she had tried to forget, ones which she had fought to suppress these last few weeks especially. She was standing in almost the exact spot it had happened, where she had been pressed into the floor by Bellatrix, tortured, screaming...Lucius turning his back, unable to watch, but doing nothing.

Hermione slumped into the nearest chair, her legs too weak to stand on, and tucked them underneath her. She could not remember the room well, her time in there was a blurred memory but for Bellatrix' voice in her ear, the searing pain, and strangely enough, the image of Lucius, his blond hair shining out amidst the haze. There was blood on the floor, although oddly not all where she had been tortured, a large amount of it splattered on the wall too, now dark in it's age. She did not panic, recognised that it was old, but still found it curious, however, her mind had too many other things to think on to ponder it further.

Her aunt had been the one to torture her, not that she'd known it at the time, Hermione suspecting that it might have been all the worse if Bellatrix had known the truth. To find Hermione was the child of her own husband and sister, a blood traitor as far as she would have been concerned, likely to have instilled a rage far greater than the one which had taken hold of her that day.

Hermione had accepted what had happened to her long ago, back when she was at school, and it was not the pain which haunted her thoughts these days, no, it was Lucius, what he had done that day. It was the only thing that ever caused her to doubt her feelings for him, always wondering what had gone through his head that day. She understood now that many of his actions, and in-action, had all been to protect his family, to save them from Voldemorts' wrath, but part of her worried that, at the time, he truly hadn't cared what had happened to her.

She looked to the door when it slowly creaked open, hearing a light knocking on the wood. Severus was there, concern evident in his so often lifeless eyes.

"Can I come in?" He asked softly, so strange was it to hear him speak in such a way that it took Hermione a moment to respond.

"Yes." She replied, her voice sounding weaker than she had anticipated, something she could not find it within her to feel ashamed about.

He came over and sat beside her, pulling her into a hug, knowing it would do more for her than words. She rested her head on his shoulder and pulled him close, his warmth helping to re-ignite the life within her.

After some time she spoke, seeing the dark splatters around the room was starting to disconcert her, so she felt compelled to ask. "Severus, why, why is the room covered in blood?" Hermione questioned apprehensively, unsure as to what the answer would be.

He was silent for a while and Hermione feared that he did not know the answer, or would not tell her, relieved when he finally replied. "Because Lucius forbid it to be removed."

"After you'd gone, when you'd all escaped, Voldemort came. Draco and Narcissa had gone when he arrived, hidden somewhere, although where I could not say. Voldemort assumed it had just been Bellatrix and Lucius present, their mistake, their failing, and he punished them for it." He explained, his voice cold as if he were back teaching, his emotions lacking. "To be more accurate, he punished Lucius." He continued, although it seemed to be getting harder for him to remain detached. "It went on for hours, Lucius lost a huge amount of blood, was left there to die, and most likely would have had I not gotten there in time."

Hermione's heart started to ache, thinking of the pain Lucius felt seemed to physically hurt her, more than the memory of her own torture even. "So the blood..."

"Yes, it is his."Severus stated. "And some of yours." He added, a sadness now in his voice. "Lucius wanted to keep the room this way, so that he would never forget. Never forget what his actions had brought upon his family, what his lack of action had brought upon you." He said, stroking her hair as if to remind himself that she was still here, still safe. "I sometimes think he took the torture willingly, allowed it to tear him apart, to punish himself for his own weakness."

Hermione wanted to cry, tears of relief, of pain, of sadness, but could not. She was unable to find happiness in hearing of Lucius remorse, what he had put himself through, how he had suffered, it only served to break her heart further. All she wanted was to have him here with her, with their family, their friends, but he was gone, still being punished for his past.

"Come now." Severus said as a silence spread between them, pulling Hermione to her feet and lifting her tired body into his arms. "It will do you no good to dwell on the past." He said as he shut door softly behind them, locking the memories away once again.

Hermione let him take her, his long strides comforting her as they made their way through the quiet manor. She felt exhausted, in every way possible, and let the peacefulness of sleep take her before they had even reached the stairs.

* * *

Draco was desperate to talk to his father, but knew it would be nearly impossible for him to get into the ministry cells, even though he was Lucius' son.

His saviour had come in the form of his new found cousin, Hermione. She had recovered remarkably well from the whole ordeal, leaping into action the very next morning. She too wanted to see Lucius and, despite warnings from Andromeda, and Narcissa, and Severus, had decided she was going to see him anyway. A plan had been concocted between the two where Draco would ask Harry to the manor to talk about his father whilst Hermione would go to the ministry, now lacking a certain chosen one, where she was confident she would easily be able to talk to Lucius alone, a confidence Draco shared.

Draco met Harry at the gates of the manor, telling him that he wished to walk through the grounds which were now covered in an enchanting light layer of snow, although his true motive had been to avoid seeing any of the other current occupants of the house. He knew he need not worry about any of the house elves as they were all inside having their own festive meal.

Harry arrived and they walked in silence, eventually stopping in a small walled, courtyard, a frozen pond in the centre.

"Look, Draco, if you're trying to get me to let your father out of prison, it's not going to happen." Said Harry firmly, in spite of how he was shuffling the snow with his boot.

It was obvious to Draco that Harry had practised his words, tried to make them sound strong. He'd forgotten to hide his nervous ticks, however. "What evidence could you possibly have, Mr Potter?" Asked Draco, with a poison edge, sounding so like his father.

Harry looked taken aback by Draco referring to him in such a formal tone, clearly becoming unsettled. "An auror I trust told me that they'd seen Lucius fleeing the scene on the night it happened. It's indisputable." Harry stated, although it sounded as though he were trying to convince himself more than Draco.

"And this auror you say you 'trust', did you just take their word as truth? Or did you investigate further? Perhaps use occlumency? There are many within your department who would love to see my father behind bars, and I don't think any of them would hesitate to blame the first crime they can on him." Draco accused, his voice rising in anger.

"It's not like that." Harry protested.

"Is it not? Tell me, did you question it? Were you all too ready to come and arrest him? So unable to believe that he's changed?"

"People like him never change!" Harry shouted, his words like a slap to Draco's face.

"Don't they, Mr Potter." A deep voice came from behind them. "And how many times have you accused someone of being in the wrong simply because you assumed them to be?" Questioned Severus Snape, appearing silently.

"You were different." Said Harry, clearly becoming flustered. "You weren't a monster."

Severus laughed in exasperation. "And who are you to call Lucius Malfoy a monster? You see, you judge him based on what you thought you knew, not facts, not the truth."

"Have you all gone insane? Even Hermione…"

Suddenly they heard voices approaching, the light crunching of snow underfoot. Teddy came bounding round the corner, Andromeda and Narcissa not far behind.

"Uncle Hawwy!" Teddy said smiling. "Why you here?" He asked, his face falling, clearly remembering what had happened the previous day.

"Why _are_ you here." Andromeda corrected him with a sigh, it becoming obvious to Draco why the boy sounded so mature, clearly Andromeda hadn't abandoned her pureblood upbringing when it came to grammar.

Harry took just that a little bit too long to reply, Draco realising that he must not recognise Teddy with his new Malfoy appearance, something Draco revelled in.

"Teddy, Andromeda, what are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same question, Harry." Andromeda said sharply. "After how you behaved the other day."

"Yeah." Said Teddy, folding his arms and standing up tall. "You took away Uncle Lucius, and you made Aunt 'Mione cry."

"I had to." Harry said, sounding less and less sure of himself.

"Why?" Teddy questioned bluntly.

"Because, because he might have done something bad, Teddy."

"So it's might have now is it?" Asked Severus with a raised eyebrow. "I'm surprised you'd put Draco and Hermione through this for only a possibility."

"I didn't think it-"

"Ah, that is sweet music to my ears, you didn't think." Drawled Snape. "Of course."

"How was I to know about Hermione?" Harry asked, nervously running his hand through his hair. "Andromeda." He seemed to plead. "Surely you can't approve of Hermione's decision?"

Draco could see Harry's words ignite a motherly protection in Andromeda's eyes, yet couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for his 'friend'.

"Hermione is free to love whoever she wants and we all accept it. She needed you last night Harry, needed you to accept her feelings, and you pushed her away. You have no idea what she's been through lately, no idea at all, and if you did, you'd understand why Lucius would never free Rodolphus Lestrange from the ministry." She seethed, the disappointment evident in her voice.

"What do you mean? What's happened to Hermione?" Harry asked, clearly full of concern and worry for his friend.

Everyone seemed to look at each other, trying to silently decide whether or not to share what they knew about Hermione's parentage to Harry and, unsurprisingly, Andromeda was the one to speak.

"Harry, Hermione has found out that she was adopted." She stated calmly. "She is not muggleborn. In fact, she is a pureblood."

"A...a pureblood?" Harry asked in disbelief. "But... but who, who are her real parents?"

"I am her mother." Andromeda said after taking a deep breath. "And her father has just broken out of the ministry."

Harry stood in shock for quite some time, then his legs gave out and he fell to his knees. Draco had to fight his urge to go to him, to comfort him, but his pride wouldn't let him do it.

"Rodolphus?" Harry asked, his eyes searching theirs for some sign of a lie.

"Yes." Confirmed Severus. "Now do you understand? Now do you see why Lucius would never release him? Would never hurt Hermione like that?"

"Come on." Said Andromeda. "I think we should go back inside and leave Harry to his thoughts."

And so they all turned and walked away, none giving Harry a backwards glance, but Narcissa stayed behind, still in Draco's earshot. He knew his mother and Harry had a strange relationship, had in truth, that fateful day, saved each other's lives, and so he was unsure of what she would say to him now.

"Mister Potter." She said, her voice calm, commanding, and curiously kind. "Sometimes, those we trust the most are the ones who tell us the biggest lies." And with that she walked away, leaving Harry standing alone in the snow, his brow furrowed, his face the epitome of confusion.

Draco didn't wait, didn't go to say goodbye. If Harry didn't think that people could change, didn't believe that they could have good inside of them, then he must still see Draco as he saw Lucius, and as far as Draco was concerned, their friendship was over.

He now finally understood what people meant when they talked about broken hearts…

* * *

The aurors had questioned him several times, but, obviously, to no avail, considering he hadn't done anything wrong. Lucius had tried to be as cooperative as possible, making sure to give them no reason to shut him away forever, but the questions were really starting to aggravate him, and he wasn't sure how much longer his patience would last.

Lucius was worried about Hermione too, with Rodolphus on the loose once more the chances of her getting into trouble were considerably higher. He knew Draco could handle the estate, trusted that the Blacks would stop Hermione getting into too much trouble, but it still preoccupied his thoughts, as Hermione always did as of late.

He could hear voices outside his cell, assuming that someone was coming to talk to him, yet again, and this time, he knew it would take a great deal of effort to control his tongue.

* * *

Hermione managed to gain entry to Lucius' cell at the ministry by telling the guards she needed to speak with him in regards to one of her cases and that Harry had sanctioned it. In the past she may have had reservations about bringing her best friends name into things, but not today, for Lucius she would do almost anything.

She needed to speak with him alone and told the aurors the the case was confidential so they happily let her go into the interrogation room alone, naturally assuming a member of the golden trio could be trusted.

Lucius sat in the chair proudly, despite having his hands loosely shackled, ready to intimidate whoever entered the room with a mere icy glance. His grey eyes set ablaze, however, when he saw Hermione enter the room, a sly smile gracing the corner of his lips.

The sight of him alone made a heat rush between Hermione's legs, it had been mere days since she had seen him last but her body ached for his touch.

"How are you Lucius?" She asked as soon as the door was shut behind them, the silencing and locking charms cast, the aurors blindly trusting her enough to let her keep her wand.

"Thirsty." he said, his eyes devouring her form, his intentions clear.

Hermione didn't hesitate, the need to discuss his imprisonment seemed irrelevant now to her, and she made her way to the desk he sat at, sitting on it in front of him.

Lucius' ran his slightly shaking hands up her smooth calves, roughly pulling apart her legs causing a unison groan to come from both of their lips, accompanied by a rattling of his chains. Hermione had never been happier that she had chosen not to wear underwear. He looked at her core which Hermione could already feel was dripping wet, had been since she set eyes on him, her thighs glistening in her essence.

She could tell he wanted to touch her, to tease her body into a frenzy, the way his fingers twitched and gripped her legs, but they did not have time. This would be urgent, frantic, it was necessary for the two of them, as breathing was for everyone else.

Lucius lowered his face between her legs, breathing her in, before his mouth descended into her folds, licking through them as he tastes her. Hermione felt electric, her nerves alive, every touch of his body against her own magnified ten fold until all she could focus on was him. He sucked hard on her clit, circling it with his tongue, Hermione bucking into his hot mouth as he gripped her hips, pulling her closer to him. He thrust two fingers into her, the sweet unexpected pain sending a fresh wave of her lust onto Lucius' waiting tongue which lapped it up eagerly.

His tongue soon replaced his fingers and she cried out, so perfect was his touch, his thumb now working on her clit. They didn't have long, knew the aurors would come to check on them soon, so they had to finish quickly, the urgency evident to them both.

"Come for me." He ordered, his breath ghosting over her core. "Please, Hermione, come for me." He pleaded, his tongue pressed hard between her folds.

Lucius pinched her clit, while his fingers stroked her g spot and she came apart, screaming his name. He shuddered against her as he continued to storke and lick her through her orgasm, clearly having done so himself too.

As soon as Hermione caught her breath, she scourgified them both and kissed him thoroughly, loving how she could taste herself on his lips, before rearranging her clothes and unlocking the door.

A few seconds later an auror entered, told Hermione she had to leave now, none the wiser to what had gone on between them.

* * *

Hermione had to go and see Lucius again, knew she would have little opportunity to in the near future, considering her last visit hadn't gone exactly as planned, not that she regretted what they'd done. So, she decided there was only one thing she could do, and that was go to the ministries' New Year Ball. It was expected that she go anyway, she was an employee after all, and then there was that... pesky little thing about being part of the golden trio. Once there, she would have to hang about for an hour or so and then, at an apt moment, feign ill or tired and then sneak off to the cells, most of the aurors worth anything likely to still be at the ball.

So, that's where Hermione found herself a few days later, walking into the ministry atrium, which had been transformed into a ballroom for the evening. She had opted for a muggle dress rather than robes, as she always found they suited her far better. She wore black, feeling it was appropriate for her current mood, a dress which reached the floor, strapless, clinging to her in all the right place, a deep v neckline falling down her chest, something she knew Lucius would appreciate. Draco and she arrived together, deciding that, as family, it was something they should do. They turned heads, naturally, but whether it was because they'd come together or the sight she expected they made, Hermione could not be sure.

Hermione acted as though everything was normal, as if nothing in her life had changed, pleasantly greeting and talking to people as she made her way across the room, searching for someone she really wanted to talk to. She had spotted the Weasleys early on, they tended to be hard to miss, but, fortunately they had not yet seen her. Harry was there, talking with the minister, and gave her a smile across the room when he saw her, clearly trying to look apologetic, something which Hermione appreciated.

Suddenly Hermione found herself unable to walk, a small pair of arms wrapped tightly around her legs.

"Aunt 'Mione." Came Teddy's happy voice, looking up at her with a big smile. He was dressed in a smart, dark grey shirt and black trousers, his long blond hair tied back with a deep green ribbon.

"Hello Teddy." She smiled as she bent down to give him a hug. "I see Andy let you come then."

"Yep!" He beamed, clearly pleased Draco and Hermione's persuasion of Andromeda had worked. Teddy had been thrilled to find out Hermione was his aunt, only after confusedly asking that he thought she was already his aunt anyway, but was happy that it was now official.

She looked up to see Andromeda and Narcissa not far behind Teddy, the pair walking arm in arm, most likely surprising many onlookers as it was not common knowledge that they were close these days.

"Hermione." Her mother greeted with a smile. "You look wonderful." Narcissa added, kissing her on each cheek. "I shall have to get my tailor to make a dress like that one day, it is simply marvellous."

"Thank you." Said Hermione, sure she was blushing at her aunts kind words.

"It is such a shame Lucius could not be with us." Said Andromeda, although Hermione was dubious as to whether her mother's words were genuine.

"Yes." The smooth baritone of Severus said from behind. "I'm sure he would have loved to see you in that dress." He commented, coming to stand next to Narcissa, resting his hand on her lower back.

"Well you should be happy he isn't, Severus, or he might just hex you for looking at Hermione like that." Narcissa teased.

The group of them started up a very stimulating conversation, as was to be expected, and, although she appeared to be listening intently, Hermione's thoughts were far away. She was deciding what her next move should be, what would be the best way to exit, how she would get past the guards to see Lucius.

About half an hour later music started to play and, somewhat reluctantly, Severus was pulled onto the now clear dance floor by Narcissa. The two looked like complete opposites together, quite literally black and white, yet they appeared to be perfect for each other, matching in intelligence and ability, seemingly compatible in every way a couple could be.

"Well Granger, shall we?" Asked Draco, extending his hand to her. "We are family after all." He added quietly, seeing her slightly shocked expression.

"I suppose there a worse ways to spend the time." Hermione agreed with a smile, more than happy to avoid any potential confrontations with a member of the Weasley family if she were to decline.

Draco, unsurprisingly, danced very well and Hermione really was enjoying herself. The pair attracted a couple of strange glances, most notably from Harry who had the widest smile on his face she'd seen in a long time, but for the most part people just seemed to ignore them. The song came to an end and Hermione was about to start phase one of her plan when Severus caught her by the waist and asked to dance with her during the next one, Narcissa insisting Draco do the same with his mother.

"So." Severus said quietly next to Hermione's ear. "What was it going to be? A headache? Too much to drink? A nasty conversation with the Minister? Because I assure you, I have potions, and poisons, to remedy all of those on my person, so you may have to come up with something a little more elaborate."

Hermione purposefully stepped on his foot but he didn't even flinch, the sly bastard. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She replied.

"Oh come now, Hermione, I know you well enough to tell when you've got a scheme brewing. I just don't want you to do anything brash."

"You wound me to assume any scheme of mine would be brash, Severus." Hermione joked, knowing she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this one.

"Well perhaps a scheme won't be necesary." Said Snape with a sly smile as their dance came to an end, rather abruptly leaving her on the dance floor.

It was then that she spotted Ron directly ahead of her, and fuck, he was making his way towards her. Hermione quickly looked around her for someone to dance with, literally anyone else, but all had partners, her way out blocked.

Hermione feared all was lost when, suddenly, she felt large hands on her waist, a strong grip that sent tingles up her spine. There was a tall, solid, figure behind her, hot breath on her neck, long hair tickling her collar bone.

"You look ravishing, Hermione." He drawled, sending a shiver through her.

"Lucius." She breathed out, grinding back into the rock hard length she could feel against her, causing his grip to tighten, a sharp intake of breath.

He spun her around and they started to dance, Hermione barely noticing Ron, standing shocked at the edge of the dance floor.

"You're here." She smiled, barely believing that he was.

"Yes. I believe I have your friend Potter to thank for that. Clearly someone has talked some sense into the boy." He said, his words kind, his tone less so. "I hope Severus kept his hands off you." He asked, moving his own lower, pulling her tighter against him.

Hermione bit her lower lip and nodded, her eyes transfixed on his, the lust she saw in them.

"Fuck, Lucius, I want you." She said through heaving breaths.

"Patience, my sweet." He smirked. "Good things come to those who wait." He said with a chaste kiss to her lips.

She knew people were looking at them, they were practically fucking each other through their clothes already, but she couldn't bring herself to care, all she cared about was Lucius, that he was holding her in his arms once more.

* * *

Harry had decided that they should let Lucius go free. His trip to Malfoy Manor had given him a lot to think about so he'd gone back to re-investigate. Hermione had provided Lucius with an alibi, no one else had seen Malfoy at the ministry, and he seemed to have nothing at all to gain from freeing Rodolphus.

Harry was pleased with what he'd done, now that he could see how happy Hermione was to be reunited with Lucius, perhaps one day he might be able to accept their relationship if they carried on like this. Unsurprisingly the pair were drawing quite a bit of attention as they danced together, a pair of wizards standing within Harry's earshot discussing the two.

"That's not Lucius Malfoy dancing with Hermione Granger is it?" One asked in disbelief. " I thought he'd been locked up?"

"So did I, but of course that's Lucius, how could you mistake him for anyone else?"

What a good question Harry thought,. How could anyone mistake Lucius Malfoy for anyone else? Narcissa's words repeated in his head once more, for what had to be the hundredth time since she'd said them to him. At first he thought she'd been talking about him lying to himself, but now, they seemed to take on a different meaning. Perhaps the one who'd condemned Lucius in the first place has been lying.

Harry searched the crowd frantically with his eyes, needing to find him, needing to know it wasn't true. Finally he spotted him, red hair, making his way through the crowd towards Hermione and Lucius.

"Ron." Harry shouted as he ran across the room. "We need to talk. Now."

" _We_ need to talk?!" Ron asked in disbelief. "What about that?" He said, wildly pointing at Lucius and Hermione. "He's supposed to be locked up, I told you he was the one who let Rodolphus out didn't I."

Most people seemed to be avoiding the confrontation but some had gathered around, Narcissa and Severus, the whole Weasley clan.

"You!" Shouted Hermione stalking towards Ron, wand raised. "Why would you make something like that up? What's wrong with you?"

"I can't believe it." Said Harry, realisation finally dawning on him. It had been Ron who told him he'd seen Lucius but now he thought about it, it couldn't possibly be true. Ron would have had to be there to have seen Lucius, was there when Rodolphus escaped, how had he not worked it out earlier?

"I can't believe it either Harry." Said Ron, clearly thinking his friend was on his side.

"No, Ron, I'm not talking about Hermione." He stated, trying to reign in his anger.

"What are you on about mate?"

"It was you who set Rodolphus free wasn't it." Harry accused, not missing the satisfied smile appearing on Lucius' lips.

All the colour went from Ron's face, the group around them going silent, so Harry continued. "You were on guard duty that night weren't you? I remember now you mentioning how you thought you'd do a better job than the official interrogators, tried to persuade me to let you in-."

"It was an accident." Ron blurted out. "I thought I could get him to talk, so I went in and, I don't know how, but he managed to get hold of my wand, and then he was just gone." He said frantically. "But, who cares that I lied, who cares if Lucius Malfoy goes back to Azkaban right?"

Even Mrs Weasley was shaking her head in disappointment, the crowd around them breaking into murmurs.

"I care." Said Harry. "You can't falsely accuse someone just because you don't like them. It isn't right."

"What's wrong with you all?" Asked Ron. "Clearly he's imperioed you all! And as for, Hermione, gold digging mud blood-"

That's when the slap happened. And this time it came from his mother.

"Ronald Weasley! How dare you talk about Hermione like that." She boomed. "Apologise. Now."

Ron looked taken aback but quickly obeyed his mothers words. "Sorry Hermione." He said shuffling his feet, not quite looking her in the eye.

"Do it properly." Said Ginny, clearly appalled at her brothers behaviour.

He scowled at her but did it anyway, walking up to Hermione and giving her a real apology. "I didn't mean to call you that Hermione, I'm sorry, and I'm sorry for being a complete bastard to you lately."

Hermione stared back blankly, only rolling her eyes slightly at his words.

"Right, Ron, I'm going to have to take you in to get an official confession and we'll work out your trial date."

"Trial?" Questioned Ron, his eyes widening in shock.

"Yes." Harry said bluntly. "For obstructing justice, going against clear orders and releasing a mass murder."

* * *

After Ron had been restrained everyone started to dissipate back into the crowd, after the daily prophet managed to get a picture of course, Lucius thankful that his own place on the front cover of late would likely be replaced.

The Weasleys had a quiet word with Hermione, insisting they must talk soon to work things out between them, something Hermione seemed pleased about, Lucius slightly less so, but if it made Hermione happy, then it made him happy too.

Narcissa and Andromeda gave Ron an icy stare on their way out, one which Lucius had experienced himself in the past and knew just how terrifying it was to behold. Severus 'accidentally' bumped quite violently into Ron, pretending he had slipped, and Teddy, quite unabashedly, kicked him in the shin, gave Harry a wide smile, and ran off after Snape.

Hermione gave Harry a big hug and was thanking him, so Lucius thought he'd have a little fun of his own whilst everyone was distracted. "Well, Mr Weasley, do you know what I'm going to do now?" He drawled. The boy merely frowned at him, tried not to look him in the eye. "I'm going to take Hermione home and I'm going to fuck her, something I hear you never knew how to do, until she either passes out with pleasure or has at least seven orgasms, whichever comes first." Lucius said, so only they could hear.

Ron tried to lash out at him but his hands were bound so he managed to trip over his own feet and fall to the floor. Lucius laughed, a cruel laugh he hadn't used in far too long, one which he liked more than he should. "Now, now, Mr Weasley, we wouldn't want to add assault to your list of offences now, would we?"

"Come on darling." Said Hermione, slipping her arm through his. "He's not worth the time."

With that, they left, together once again, and that evening Lucius managed to do exactly what he'd told Ronald he would do, achieving both of his goals simultaneously.


	22. It's All In The Blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the penultimate chapter.
> 
> Thanks to my Beta Mari681 for her work on this chapter, and for putting up with all my silly errors, not to mention my nasty way of ending chapters...

Lucius should have awoken content and happy, but was unable to, the singular emotion occupying his body being worry.

True, he was out of jail, his name cleared, his family back together and larger than ever, but Rodolphus Lestrange was now free again, and that was going to be a problem.

Hermione stirred next to him as her eyes opened, she smiled, but all too soon her brow creased slightly, as she too must have realised the precarious, not to mention, dangerous, situation they found themselves in.

"He can't get us here, can he?" She asked quietly.

"No." Lucius replied simply, hoping she would believe him as his words were true. "The Manor is nearly impenetrable, especially to Rodolphus." He reassured her.

"Good." Hermione nodded, obviously still deep in thought.

Lucius knew Potter and his aurors would be looking for Rodolphus, but realised that their efforts were futile. Lestrange had managed to hide from them for the last five years, what would stop him from doing it again? If only the idiot Weasley boy hadn't set him free, then they would all be safe, Hermione would be safe. The only thing stopping Lucius from falling into an uncontrollable rage at the thought was the knowledge that Ron would be properly punished for his crimes.

"We need to find him." Hermione said firmly, swiftly standing from the bed and marching over to a little beaded bag hanging by the door.

"What are you looking for?" Lucius asked with intrigue when she began to rummage around in the tiny purse. Lucius had noticed she never kept it far away, always keeping it with her whenever they went anywhere, but he had often wondered what was inside.

"A notebook." She replied, her arm shoulder deep in the bag. "Every time one of my cases led me to an old death eater hide out I'd note it down, and I've got a list of potential spots."

"You could just ask me." He suggested.

"I could." She said with a raised eyebrow. "But I figured that cross-referencing our knowledge would be the most efficient way of doing this."

Lucius loved how determined she was to find Rodolphus, whether it was because she wanted to save the wizarding world from another war, or simply to find her father, he could not say - probably both - but he was uncertain as to what would happen if they actually found Lestrange. Rodolphus was an odd man, had gone from one of the happiest Lucius knew to one of the most twisted, most full of hate, and Lucius did not know how he would react.

Hermione continued to look through the bag. She had tried 'accio', but it hadn't worked - likely because she had far too many 'notebooks' for the spell to find just one. As she looked and looked, items were beginning to pile up around her. Lucius spotted some quite interesting objects: rare potions ingredients, a pair of very high red Louboutins, and a purple maple leaf that seemed to glow slightly, just to name a few.

A glowing purple maple leaf. There was only one place he had ever seen one of those before. Lucius sprang from the bed and picked up the leaf, inspecting it. "Where did you get this Hermione?" He asked with urgency.

"I found it in Avery's pocket." She answered, clearly perplexed at his strange reaction to it. "I've been meaning to give it to Neville to take a look at. Why do you ask?"

Part of him didn't want to tell her, because it would keep her safer if he didn't, but he couldn't lie to her, not Hermione.

"This leaf comes from a very special tree." He started. "A tree which very few have seen, due to the difficulty of getting to the place in which it grows, a place Avery has obviously been."

"So you think Rodolphus is hiding where this tree is?" She asked, excitement in her eyes, and it made his heart fill with dread and love at the same time.

"Yes." He stated somewhat coldly.

"Where?" Hermione questioned, her brow furrowed, catching on that he was reluctant to tell her.

"The Lestrange estate."

* * *

"Well, we have to go and tell Harry straight away." Hermione said, already making her way towards the floo.

"No, Hermione." Lucius called after her, his voice cracking ever so slightly.

"What is it?" She questioned, confused at the emotions she saw in his eyes. What was the cause of his apprehension she wondered, why was he not rushing to get this all behind them, to make them safe once more?

"The aurors won't be able to get in there." He said, turning to look out the window, his hair glowing in the early morning light, his muscles tense.

"Why?" Hermione asked softly, coming to wrap her arms around him from behind. His skin was still so smooth even with the chill in the air, his back so warm, so human.

He did not answer for a while, only wrapping his arms around her own, rubbing his thumb along her hands.

"Because there is only one way to get into that estate." Lucius finally answered. "There is one way in, a gate, which I expect is heavily protected, probably guarded, but it needn't be, not with the enchantment it has on it."

"What enchantment?" She asked cautiously, scared at what the answer might be.

Lucius let out a long sigh, leaning back into her arms, pressing himself to her. "In order to enter the estate one must pay a blood toll, the blood must be fresh, although only small in quantity, but, not just any blood will do." He stated, clearly trying to distance himself from his emotions. "The blood must come from the true owner of the estate, their spouse, or...direct heirs."

Hermione was now the one to let the silence spread once more between them, Lucius' words sinking in. She understood his reluctance to tell her now, realised what this meant. She would have to go with whomever went. She was the only link to Lestrange blood avaliable, and while reluctant, she would happily expose her true bloodline if it meant she could stop the manticore from hatching. The enchantment would mean Hermione would have to be there in person, and while she could, in theory, leave after she had paid the toll, she wouldn't. And she knew that Lucius must realize that she wouldn't be able to leave without speaking to her... Lestrange.

Yes, there was a high chance that Rodolphus would be killed in the raid, but she needed to speak to him, she had to. That's when a thought came to her. She could go in alone, ahead of the aurors. Nobody on the estate would expect an intruder to be possible, so she could seek him out herself.

"It would be impossible." Said Lucius, as if reading her thoughts. "I will not let you go there alone."

"But I have to see him!" She protested, letting go of him and turning her back. "I thought you would understand..."

"I do, my sweet, I do." Lucius reassured her as his arms once more found their way around her, reversing their positions. "But, I-" He paused, clearly struggling to say what he wanted, resting his chin against her head. "I do not think I would be able to stand it if he hurt you, if he, killed you." He said, his voice wavering.

"I know." Hermione agreed solemnly, knowing she would feel the same if she thought she might lose Lucius. She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his firm back, and they simply stood holding each other for what felt like hours. Hermione was desperate to speak to Rodolphus but did not want to risk her life for it, for what it would do to Lucius more than anything else, but it was hard to come to terms with that she would never speak to her true father.

"I will come with you." Said Lucius firmly, startling Hermione at the sudden sound of his voice. "You will stay by my side at all times, and I will make sure you, at least, get to see him."

* * *

It was with those words in his mind that Lucius found himself facing the gates of the Lestrange estate the next evening, surrounded by aurors, Hermione's hand in his. They received a few strange looks but since their relationship had been thoroughly reported on by the intolerable Rita Skeeter, no one seemed to react to it too greatly.

If the aurors wondered why Hermione was here, they did not say, clearly Harry had not felt the need to tell his fellow aurors about the blood toll. Regardless, it was unlikely many would question her, or for that matter, Lucius', presence on a mission like this, they were experts when it came to death eaters after all.

As Lucius had predicted, the gates were deserted. It was clear that Lestrange had put complete faith in the dark enchantment protecting them. It was no wonder Voldemort had chosen Malfoy Manor to invade rather than here, it would have been far harder for him to get into the Lestranges even if Rodolphus had freely offered it to him. If history could be believed, the enchantment had been created with the blackest of blood magic, many a Lestrange sacrificing their own lives to protect their home. The massive sacrifice needed was likely the reason it was not a spell in common use, or in fact, used anywhere other than here.

Malfoy Manor put this place to shame. The grounds clearly unruly, the walls covered in ivy, the house obviously in great need of repair, but not the gates. The gates stood tall and strong, looking as grand and sturdy as he suspected they did had the day they were made. The enchantment was clearly powerful, and had been put in place to prevent intruders, not to mention the children of unfaithful spouses, from getting into the estate, and had been doing its it's job perfectly for hundreds of years.

Lucius had seen first hand what the gate did to those who tried to enter without paying the toll, and, suffice to say, he was extremely glad that they had confirmed Hermione's lineage without a doubt. At first, Lucius had been concerned that, as Hermione was born out of wedlock, there might be a problem, but, pureblood law dictated that if the child still had the blood of the lord of the house, they were still considered rightful heirs, so all should be well.

Harry had initially told Hermione no, that he would not allow her to come with them, but, after a verbal lashing that Lucius was very pleased not to be on the receiving end of, he had agreed to let her come and open the gates. That, however, was where their agreement ended, Harry saying he couldn't allow someone who was, technically, a civilian, to come on the mission. This meant that Lucius and Hermione would have to sneak into the house, unseen by Potter and the aurors, and hopefully find Rodolphus before the others did. And Lucius thought these days were behind him.

With a nod from Harry, Hermione hesitantly made her way towards the gate, squeezing Lucius' hand as it slipped from her own. She pricked her finger, the muggle way he noted, and lightly touched the drop of blood to the black iron bars. Lucius sighed with relief as the gate swung open silently, not even creaking in its great age, leaving Hermione unharmed.

The aurors immediately made their way through the gates into the darkness, Potter at the head, not even checking to see if Hermione stayed true to her word and left. Lucius almost felt sorry for the boy, almost, that he was so trusting, so blind to the truth of who Hermione trully was.

They waited in silence as the sounds of the aurors footsteps faded away and then walked through the gates. The two moved swiftly, heading into the grounds instead of towards the manor, Lucius looking for the concealed entrance he knew was there. He had spent quite a large amount of time in the estate during the first war, knew it's secrets, knew where Rodolphus was likely to be. Lestrange would probably try to run when he became aware of the aurors presence, most likely down into the maze of tunnels that ran under the entire estate, full of ancient traps and easy to get lost in if you did not know the way.

"There it is." Hermione suddenly said, stopping.

At first he was confused, they weren't there yet, and then he saw the purple tree, it's faint light pushing through the darkness.

"It's so beautiful." She commented. "Curious how it still has all it's leaves in winter don't you think?"

"I seem to recall Rodolphus once telling me that it never loses it's leaves, and it does not grow, I wouldn't go near it if I were you." Lucius warned, pressing them onwards. The tree had always distrubed him, seemed to give of an auror he didn't like, not so dissimilar to how it had felt to hold Voldemort's diary all those years ago. It concerned him that Hermione appeared to be in possession of something he did not believe it was possible to have, a leaf from a tree which never lot them, something he was currently trying not to think on too heavily.

They carried on through the darkness until finally, they reached their destination.

"Why are we stopping?" Hermione asked when Lucius and she came to the edge of a small lake.

"Because we are here." He replied as he raised his wand, the water in the lake spreading apart revealing a trap door beneath it's murky depths. "Quickly now." He said, urging her forward. It required a great deal of magical energy to shift this amount of water at once and he knew he could only do it for so long.

Hermione managed to pull open the door which had become stiff in it's age and the two of them climbed down the ladder, landing in the dark passage below, hearing the water crash back down over the door above their heads. Lucius led Hermione through the black bricked tunnels, not so dissimilar to those in under the ministry, focusing on remembering the way. He knew there was a large chamber directly under the house where Rodolphus would hopefully be and decided that it was best that they head there first.

* * *

Lucius seemed to recall the tunnels well, had learnt their tricks many a time during the war, so they were making quick progress.

Hermione stiffened slightly as she heard a sound, a gravvely voice, one which had clearly not been used in quite some time.

"Who." He coughed. "Who goes there? Antonin, is that you? Please, please let me go. I'm sure Rodolphus will never find out." He pleaded.

She knew that voice, was it? Yes, it had to be. Slughorn.

"Professor." She called as loud as she would dare.

"Hermione?" He replied with confusion.

Lucius was fast to act, knew exactly where the door was and opened it with ease. Slughorn recoiled slgihtly at the sight of him but relaxed once Hermione came into view, Lucius going to stand watch.

"Sweet Merlin, Hermione, you have no idea how good it is to see you." He said, trying to stand.

"How long have you been down here?" She asked, performing spells to check his person, to make sure he was healthy enough to move.

"Not long, not long, they only caught me recently, those two fools. They heard me you see, that day those eggs were stolen, worked out that I must know what was in the egg and they came after me, did not want their leader to find out that I was on the lose, knew their plan."

"Why didn't you tell anyone? We could have helped you." She chastised, exasperated.

"I did not want to look more of a fool than I already was..." He admitted, his head bowed. "And look where that got me."

Hermione felt bad for him, she really did, but she simply didn't have the time to deal with it right now.

"Professor, are you okay to walk?" She asked as he tested his legs.

"Yes, yes I think so."

"You need to get out of here, go through the tunnels, to the gates, you'll find aurors up there, they can take you away."

"Can't you come with me?" He asked, scared, confused.

"No, there is something I need to do, but here." She said, reaching into her beaded bag. "Take this wand, but be careful, it is...temperamental." She warned, having once used the it herself, Bealltrix' wand, something she had stranegly never been able to bring herself to snap.

After giving him the directions they sent him, somewhat unwillingly, on his way, continuing through the tunnels themselves in the opposite direction.

Several minutes passed until suddenly Hermione felt a shiver go up her spine, a feeling of sadness coming over her. What was this, surely Lucius hadn't led them down the wrong path by accident, they couldn't have stumbled into a trap he wasn't aware of. She turned, trying to inspect the dark walls around her when suddenly she tripped, hitting her head on the way down, her wand slipping from her hand.

* * *

After several minutes of walking, leaving the buffoon Slughorn behind, Lucius knew they were close now, could tell that there wasn't much further to go, when suddenly a feeling of dread came over him. The feeling was unnatural, yet oh so familiar, and it wasn't until he felt the chill that seemed to seep into his very bones that he realised what it was, just a second too late.

Hermione screamed and he whirled around to see his worse worst fear before him. A dementor. A dementor which was sucking the life out of Hermione.

Lucius froze, the memories of his time in Azkaban flooding back to him, seeming to turn him into the wreck he'd once been. He knew the spell, knew what he was supposed to do, but he found himself unable to move. He should have anticipated this, should have known there would be creatures such as this lurking in the labyrinth, and now it was too late.

Hermione collapsed, and the sight of her eyes fluttering shut snapped Lucius back into reality.

"Expecto Patronum!" He boomed, the spell shooting from his wand. Lucius had always had trouble with the spell, as many death-eaters had, never having anything happy to think of to give the spell power, but now it came out in full force. The swirling blue light morphed into a creature, strong legs springing forth, sprinting towards the dementor. A lioness racing to protect Hermione.

The beast was flung backwards, those approaching behind it retreating, and Lucius rushed to Hermione's side. She was conscious, thank Merlin, and she even smiled when she saw the lioness sitting by Lucius' side.

"I've got to get you out of here." He said, pulling her to her feet once he was sure she could stand.

"No." She said firmly, steadying herself against the wall. "I can still do this, Lucius, I have to still do this."

Her eyes had a burning determination in them, a determination Lucius could not argue with, so he reluctantly continued to lead them through the winding passages. All the while he was whispering incantations, casting regeneration spells on Hermione, ones which he only knew of thanks to the Library.

They started to hear shouting ahead of them, at least three voices, and Hermione and he readied their wands. Lucius stopped at the final corner before the chamber, trying to work out what was happening, what, and who, they were dealing with.

"I thought this place was impenetrable Lestrange! How the bloody hell have the aurors gotten in? What are we going to do?" He heard a man shout above the noise of the battle going on in the manor above them, his voice panicked, and Lucius recognised him as Avery.

The next to speak was Dolohov, his tone much calmer but no less urgent. "It doesn't matter how they got in, we just need to leave, and we need to take that manticore egg with us. Now."

"No. No, it isn't possible." Was all Rodolphus said, seeming to ignore the others. "She's dead. She's gone."

"What is it?" Asked Avery. "Who's dead?"

"Just leave him!" Shouted Dolohov. "He's clearly gone mad. We have to get out of here now, come on."

There was a few seconds of silence when Avery was clearly having trouble making up his mind, but, after a loud bang was heard above them, soon the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching them.

As the pair of death eaters rounded the corner they barely had time to let the shock register on their faces before the two of them were stunned and fell into a crumpled heap on top of each other, the yellow egg rolling out of Dolohovs' arms.

Hermione quickly picked it up, shrinking it and putting it in her beaded bag, probably hoping it wouldn't hatch while it was in there.

"Are you ready?" Lucius whispered.

She nodded, kissing him lightly on his lips. Lucius felt a pain shoot through him, a fear, that this might be the last time he ever got to kiss her.

"Don't worry Lucius." Hermione smiled as she looked into his eyes. "l know we will be alright."

Lucius trusted her, wanted to believe she was right, but was so scared of losing her, he could hardly stand it. Lucius knew he had to be strong, knew he could not bare it if he turned into a coward again.

But what if being a coward would save her...

* * *

Hermione took a deep breath and rounded the corner, stepping out of the darkness, Lucius at her back. The circular chamber was much larger than she had anticipated, rivalling the library at Malfoy manor in size, but was bare except for a simple staircase, a ball of light glowing high in the air, and a man standing alone below it.

He was dressed in fine black robes, his dark hair long but well kept, his beard finely sculpted. He would have looked the perfect gentleman to anyone who did not know his true nature.

Rodolphus had his back to them as they approached, talking to himself about how Bellatrix couldn't possibly be alive, assuming it must have been her who let them in, the only possible person with the blood, to his knowledge.

"Expelliarmus." Said Hermione, casting the spell as Rodolphus turned, finally noticing their approach. Lucius caught the wand, immediately raising his own, ready to strike at any moment.

"Lucius?" Rodolphus questioned, clearly shocked. "Why are you here, Malfoy? And why have you bought... Andromeda?" He said, taking a step towards them, his arm slightly outstretched.

For a moment Hermione thought that perhaps Rodolphus truly had gone mad, was ready to tell him her true identity, when suddenly she heard someone behind her. She turned, happy that Lucius still had his wand trained on her father, and was shocked to see Andromeda there.

"Mum?" She questioned, completely shocked.

Andromeda simply smiled at her and made her way towards Rodolphus, putting herself between him and Hermione.

"What are you doing here?" Her and her father asked in unison.

"I didn't want you to do this alone." Andromeda said, turning her back on Rodolphus, obviously not fearing him. "I knew you would come, knew you would have to, so I disguised myself as an auror and followed you." She explained, a pleading edge to her voice that told Hermione that her mother hoped she would understand.

"How did you know we were coming?" Lucius questioned curtly.

"Harry came to me, asked me to try and talk Hermione out of coming, but I couldn't bring myself to do it, knew you would protect her Lucius." She said with a half-hearted smile.

"Andromeda." Rodolphus interrupted with a gravely whisper. "Is it really you?" He asked, his eyes wide, and it was then that Hermione noticed they were hazel, mirrors of her own.

"Yes Rodolphus." Andromeda replied calmly, facing him once more.

"Did, did you let them in?" He asked, his tone unsure, still so confused as to how they were there.

"No." She replied, stepping forward and taking his hand in her own, her tone turning soft, almost fond. "Our daughter did."

* * *

It was then that Rodolphus' eyes locked on Hermione, truly noticing her for the first time.

He clearly recognised her, his brow furrowing in confusion, taking a step towards her. Lucius instinctively moved to protect her but she stopped him, did not feel threatened by the man before her. Rodolphus looked... vulnerable. It was odd to describe a man like him as such, but that was the only word that came to Hermione's mind. The look in his eyes when Andromeda took his hand, the look in them now as he gazed into her own eyes, was not one that she would expect to see in a killer like him.

"Hermione?" He all but whispered. "She's mine." He stated, as if saying it out loud would confirm it.

"Yes." Was all Andromeda said.

Hermione didn't know how Rodolphus would react, but she was expecting rage, denial, disbelief, but never in a million years what actually happened.

She suddenly found herself enveloped in a hug, her fathers arms wrapped tightly around her, could feel the wetness of his tears on his skin. In that moment Hermione forgot what her father was, what he'd done, and hugged him back, so overwhelmed that he had accepted her. She had been through so much, lost too many parents, too many people she loved, and to be accepted by this man, this man who she hated, who had hated her, made her so happy she was sure her heart would burst.

Suddenly there were aurors running down the stairs, all of them shouting, spells beginning to fly, but it was one voice she heard above all the others.

"Get away from her!" Harry shouted, the green light spurting from his wand, a body falling lifeless to the ground.


	23. Paying For Your Crimes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't hate me, but I had to write this.
> 
> "Yes, don't hate the author. It isn't nice to hate. Even if they go and do something like this with such a cliffhanger in the previous chapter. :) Thought I should say - 'Hi!' like some betas' do, so I am, finally. Hi! :P" - Mari681
> 
> I know it's probably not to most people's tastes, so apologies in advance, but I've had it in my head since I started this story so I simply had to write it down, and it seemed a shame not to share it.
> 
> "Yes, it would be a shame, especially after such a cliffhanger. Y'all, can you tell I didn't like the cliffhanger? xD" -mari681
> 
> Enjoy! or don't, either way, here it is, the final chapter.

Albus Potter was following the large group of first years up from the boats through the grounds of Hogwarts, heading towards the Great Hall where they would be sorted into a house. He recognised many of the children around him, his cousin Rupert, Aerith Longbottom, Crispen Zabini, Astrid Parkinson, and even one Scorpius Malfoy. His uncle Ron and aunt Lavender always spoke about the Malfoys with malice, as did his mother sometimes, but his father never did, and would not stand to hear a bad word said against them.

James seemed to stick with his mother's views, saying that all Malfoys were bad news, but Albus never could agree with him, always following the words his father said: 'You must not judge people by their past, their blood, for it will likely be your undoing.'

Albus looked up to the stars, trying to remember this moment, take in every detail of it, when he thought he saw something through the clouds, wings. It was too large for a hippogriff, yet too small for a dragon despite its wings looking reptilian. He didn't point it out to anyone, knew it could not possibly be what he imagined, and simply watched as it landed at the top of the astronomy tower, two people seemingly climbing down from its back.

He pondered on it as they continued up through the grounds, now deep in thought. Before he left for Hogwarts, a package had arrived in the post for him, it's sender unknown, just as it had for James when his time to go to school had come. James had seen it was a book and dismissed it, typical of his brutish brother, but Albus was intrigued, had never seen the book before -  _A Book of Monsters I Wish were Mythical._

Despite having to get to sleep for his early trip to the station, Albus had stayed up all night reading it, finally getting to the last page which had a message on it.

_This book is a replica from the Library of Alexandria._

He hadn't heard of that library, thought it strange, but it was a particular creature which had caught his eye the previous evening that now he thought he saw. But, as they finally arrived outside the doors of the great hall, he dismissed it, Manticores didn't really exist, did they?

They seemed to be waiting for someone and it was then that Albus noticed two students which hadn't been on the train, being escorted to join the group by Teddy Lupin. Teddy seemed to know them as they were smiling and laughing together, and the two appeared to know Scorpius too as they joined the group and began talking animatedly with him. They were clearly twins, both platinum blonde, the girls hair was wild, her eyes hazel, the boys long and straight, tied back with a black ribbon, his stare an icy grey. On anyone else, such hair would have looked odd, old, but on this boy it looked perfectly natural. Albus could not deny that both were beautiful, an air to them that told him they were intelligent, powerful, and they intrigued him, he wanted to know who they were.

"Right everybody, let's all get into an orderly line now." Teddy said above their chatter, his green eyes catching Albus' with a smile, his hair almost identical to the unknown boy standing a few feet away from him.

Once they were all organised the large doors were pulled open and Albus was struck with awe as they made their way through the hall, Headmistress Mcgonagall waiting for them at the end, sorting hat on a chair next to her.

Albus had thought long and hard about which house he wanted to be in, where he would be put, and was still so unsure, not even his fathers words helping to console him. Gryffindor was the house all of his family had been in, yet, Slytherin seemed to call to him, seemed to be in his blood. Perhaps he would end up in Ravenclaw like Teddy instead, he thought, as he saw his friend go and sit at the head of the blue house's table, or maybe even Hufflepuff, he would probably make a good Hufflepuff.

After a short and inspiring speech the sorting began, now alphabetically. He found himself wondering where the mysterious twins would be put, strangely wanting to be in whatever house they were sorted into. He feared they would be called after him but once Aerith Longbottom had been sorted into Ravenclaw, eliciting a great cheer from the house, not to mention Neville, Albus' luck was in.

"Azadene Malfoy." Mcgonagall called. Another Malfoy, how curious, Albus was sure he had only ever heard of Draco and Scorpius, but he supposed the hair made sense, then again, Teddy wasn't a Malfoy, and his hair was platinum too. The hall had broken into quiet murmurs, even amongst some of the teachers, Severus Snape seeming the only one un-phased - clearly these too were a curiosity to more than just him.

"Thank Merlin they didn't call your full name." Joked Scorpius quietly to the girls brother.

Before Albus had the chance to register what he was doing, he found himself asking. "What's your full name?"

The boys' turned to look at him, Scorpius looked torn, wanting to talk but seeming hesitant to, the other boy's eyes were cold, indifferent. Scorpius and Albus had only ever spoken briefly when their fathers had exchanged pleasantries with each other, but nothing more, Albus always getting the feeling that his father had wounded Draco somehow, and thus didn't know if he would be well liked by Scorpius.

"It's alright Scorpius, Mother says it is okay for people to know now." The boy said, his voice already deep, eloquent.

Scorpius eyes lit up, clearly no longer having to keep some sort of secret, and he happily told Albus.

"Well, officially, those twos' full family name is Black Lestrange Granger Malfoy, but Malfoy does just fine, considering it's the best, after all." He said smiling, giving the boy a playful shove.

"They are all very respectable names, Scorpius." The boy chastised, sounding so mature yet not quite keeping a smile from coming through the corner of his lips.

All of the names were familiar to Albus, everyone knew of the three notorious pureblood houses, but one he was certain he knew of yet couldn't quite place, Granger...

"Difficult, so very difficult." Said the sorting hat, interrupting Albus' thoughts, as it was placed on Azadenes head. "There is a lioness within you I am certain, yet, I sense a snake there too. But which house, which house.?" It pondered. "I have not had such a tough decision to make in quite some time..."

The girl did not appear at all distressed at the hat's dilemma, not as Albus feared he would be, seemed content with whatever decision it would make. Perhaps she knew that wherever she would be put would not change who she was, being in Slytherin would make her no less brave, Gryffindor no less cunning.

"Slytherin!" The hat finally called, accompanied by a great cheer from the house, not to mention Scorpius. Her brother smiled slightly to himself and gave his sister a subtle nod as she walked by.

Mcgonagall looked back down at the list and, if Albus wasn't mistaken, seemed to smile sadly, before reading out the next name, the name of the mysterious boy.

"Lucius Malfoy." She called, the room falling quiet.

Lucius Malfoy. Albus certainly knew that name, not that it was ever mentioned in their house, his father always seeming to stiffen whenever the name was said. He had read about Lucius once, in a book about the war, and again in a strange document he had found on his fathers' desk.

He had heard his father crying in his study late at night the previous year, so, Albus had gone to him concerned. His father said he just missed an old friend and took Albus back to bed but Albus could not sleep, had seen that his father had been reading something. So, later, when he was sure Harry had gone to bed, he snuck back to the room, easily unlocking it, and climbed into his fathers chair.

It had been a mission report, an old one, and described an attack on the Lestrange Estate. There had been a list of deceased, there were few, so the name had stuck out to him, Lucius Malfoy, killed by his fathers own hand, accidental death.

Granger, there had been a Granger there too, now he remembered. In the list of missing people, that's right, Rodolphus Lestrange and Hermione Granger, along with the body of Lucius, had escaped, and, if the report was up to date, had never been seen again.

Hermione Granger. It had been then that Albus realised who his father missed, his best friend from school, the war hero, Hermione.

But this Granger, Azadene and Lucius, it couldn't be...

"Another one!" The hat exclaimed. "My, my, isn't today full of surprises. Hmm, the same as your sister I see, the same as your father too..." It mused.

"Scorpius." Whispered Albus, moving to stand next to the blonde. "You guys are related right?" He asked, gesturing to Lucius.

"Well yeah." Said Scorpius as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "They're my aunt and uncle, technically speaking, but dad always said to treat them like cousins."

"You're aunt and uncle? But that would mean..."

"Slytherin!" The hat called again, another great roar coming from the house, a smirk to Professor Snape's lips.

"My turn." Scorpius said excitedly, practically jumping up and down on the spot. He was a curious boy, Scorpius, so free-spirited, so happy, had always been, whenever Albus had seen him, a stark contrast to what he'd heard of Draco at the same age.

"Three in a row." Said the hat exasperatedly when it was placed on Scorpius' head. "Where did all these Malfoys come from?" It seemed to mutter to itself.

"Another hard one, a different path I see for you...Hufflepuff." It called, much to Albus' surprise.

For a moment Scorpius looked shocked, but simply shrugged and bounded over to the Hufflepuff table, joining Lorcan and Lysander Lovegood, the sons of Luna and Rolf Scamander, the trio already looking like they'd be the best of friends, not to mention quite a bit of trouble.

"Albus Severus Potter." Mcgonagall called loudly, clearly having to repeat his name for the second time as he'd been watching the young Malfoy.

Reddening slightly in the cheeks, Albus made his way up to the chair, fairly sure his legs were shaking slightly. As he sat he couldn't help but look out into the hall, the four houses spread out before him. Ravenclaw, Teddy's house, a friend he had always admired, Hufflepuff, with the three young boys he knew would fill his years with laughter, Gryffindor, the house of his brother, his cousin, his family, and yet...

"Slytherin!" The house called out almost as soon as it was placed on his head, needing no time to deliberate, and Albus could only feel relief as he looked out into the crowd and saw the two, both smiling, accepting him.

* * *

_Twelve Years Earlier_

Hermione saw the light, heard the words, had anticipated this, knew her father might die tonight.

It happened so quickly, with so little effort, but he was still there, still in her arms, still breathing.

Then she saw it, him, his grey eyes colder than they had ever been.

No. Not Lucius. Please, not Lucius.

She wrenched herself from Rodolphus' arms and fell to her knees, searching his body for some sign of life, a flicker, anything.

But he just lay there, motionless, unseeing, unmoving. Nothing.

She saw Harry through the tears that were spilling from her eyes, he stood still, watching, in shock.

Hermione reached for her wand, the word 'crucio' on her lips, she would give him a fraction of the pain she was feeling.

Someone was holding her back, strong arms, kind soft words from a deep voice.

Andromeda stood between them, protecting them from the aurors still trying to kill Rodolphus, none of them seeming to care that Lucius was dead, only thinking of their mission.

She fought it, pulled against her fathers' arms, screamed as tears dripped down her cheeks, until she could do it no more, her strength, her life, gone.

Hermione collapsed against Lucius, holding him, pressing a light kiss to his still warm lips.

She had to leave, could not stay here, so she held Lucius close and prepared to disapparate. She could feel the charm the aurors had put in place fighting against her but her magical energy was overflowing, powerful, but she knew she could not do this alone, not when she had to take Lucius with her.

Suddenly her parents were at her side, knowing, sensing her need, and together they left.

Hermione leaving what had been her life forever.

* * *

They had arrived in the hall of Malfoy Manor, Narcissa, Draco, Teddy and Severus rushing out at the sound.

From there it had been a blur. Draco kneeling next to his father's body, shaking with rage, with anguish. Narcissa crying by Lucius side, his hand in her own. Teddy ran and hid behind Andromeda's legs, confused tears in his eyes. Severus checking the body, trying to see if there was anything he could do. Hermione held Lucius head against her, stroking his hair as if he were asleep, closing his eyes forever.

Or so she thought...

* * *

"Where did you get that?" Rodolphus asked roughly, pushing them aside.

Hermione was ready to hex him until she noticed what he was doing, what he was looking at. The purple leaf from the estate, poking out of the top of Lucius jacket, in perfect condition despite where it had been.

"Where did you get this?" He asked more forcefully, inspecting the leaf.

"I, I found it in Avery's pocket." Hermione said shakily, surprised that she could even speak.

"It can't be..." Rodolphus said, seemingly to himself. "That fucking bastard." He suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it?" Draco asked weakly, the life gone from him, yet a small hope in his eyes.

Rodolphus did not answer straight away, yet turned to look at Andromeda, then at Hermione.

"My family, my ancestors, they were obsessed with maintaining our bloodline, to keep it pure." He stated, sounding oddly remorseful. "They used dark magic, awful magic, to make sure there would always be an heir to the Lestrange estate, a pureblood heir. You saw the gate, must know what it is capable of, what it took to make. It is not however, the only thing they created..."

"What?" Prompted Andromeda, coming to rest a hand on his shoulder. "What is it Rodolpus? What did they make?" She asked calmly.

"They made a tree, made it by sacrificing many of their family, some willingly, others...less so. It only ever loses one leaf at a time, this one was locked up in the estate, that bastard Avery must have stolen it." He explained, a clear anger rising within him. "Another leaf only falls when the last has been destroyed, but destroying it isn't easy..."

Rodolphus paused, but, after an encouraging smile from Andromeda, pressed on. "The leaves were used as a safety net for future generations you see, if the lord of the estate, or the last heir were to die...the leaf could be used to, bring them back."

* * *

"It's not possible." Said Severus, the first to speak, so sure of himself, his voice lined with malice at Rodolphus for bringing false hope.

"Can you bring him back?" Asked Draco, a desperation in his voice.

Hermione was too shocked to speak, surely this wasn't possible, couldn't be, she wouldn't let herself believe it.

"Yes." Rodolphus confirmed, but quickly continued. "It must be done quickly, only works when the body is still intact, hence why I never used it on the Dark Lord or Bellatrix, but it is complicated...requires a sacrifice."

"What kind of sacrifice?" Hermione asked tentatively, fearing she knew what the answer might be.

"The life of a pureblood..."

* * *

The room fell silent, Hermione sure that Narcissa, Draco and she were sharing similar thoughts.

If Rodolphus did not tell a lie, they could do it, one of them could bring him back. She could bring Lucius back.

Hermione was about to open her mouth, to volunteer herself, when Rodolphus spoke.

"I will do it." Rodolphus said, as if he'd made his mind up as soon as he told them about the leafs power. "I will do it for you, Hermione." He said, taking her hand, a sadness in his eyes. "I've done so much wrong in my life Hermione, missed out on so many things, and I do not think I could leave now, I couldn't run knowing you're here...I would rather die than never see you again, never get to know you...You love him don't you." He said, already knowing, already understanding.

A fresh batch of tears came to her eyes and she threw herself into his arms, heaving as she cried. Andromeda joined them, both her parents holding her, holding each other, for the very first and last time.

"Thank you Rodolphus." She whispered through deep breaths. "Thank you dad."

He too began to cry, murmuring things to himself. "What have I done...why, why..." She heard him say, rocking back and forth slightly.

After some time he eventually let go and turned to face Andromeda. "I never stopped loving you." Rodolphus admitted, a look in his eye Hermione imagined had been there when he was the happy young man he used to be.

"Nor I you." Said Andromeda, wiping a tear from his cheek before kissing him. He held her to him, gently kissing her back, his eyes squeezed shut as he tried to hold back more tears.

"I cannot use the killing curse." Rodolphus began to explain once he'd let Andromeda go, pushing through his grief. "We must place the leaf above Lucius' heart and my blood must fall on it, a single drop will do, but I must make the killing cut to myself. It is imperative that we do it right, it is the only way it will work." He said seriously, making sure they all understood.

Hermione did not know if she could bare what was happening. Lucius could be alive once more but her father, her true father, would be dead, finally paying for his crimes in the ultimate way, yet she knew would still miss him, knew her heart would still ache.

"Come on Draco, we should leave." Narcissa said quietly. "You don't want to see this."

"No." Replied Draco firmly. "I will watch it, I will not shy away from his sacrifice."

"Very well." She conceded, coming to stand by her sons side, slipping an arm through his. "Then neither shall I."

Andromeda did the same to Hermione, not needing to tell Teddy to leave as he already had, knowing it was not for him to see.

Severus undid Lucius' robe, exposing his bare chest and placed the leaf carefully in the correct place.

"Thank you Rodolphus." Said Narcissa. "This will never be forgotten."

He simply nodded in acknowledgement, seeming to have accepted what he was about to do.

Rodolphus looked at them all one last time, so much love, regret, in his eyes when they came to Andromeda and Hermione that she thought she would break apart again, knew she would never forget that look.

Closing his eyes he brought the tip of his wand to his neck, the tip glowing white, and with one last look at them, it was over.

* * *

Bright. Why was it so damn bright?

For that matter, why was he in bed? Why did his chest ache like he'd been hit by a bludger?

Where was Hermione? He wondered, noticing the bed empty.

He sat up suddenly in shock, cursing with the pain in his chest. He was supposed to be with Hermione, at the Lestranges, what had happened?

That's when he saw her, asleep in a chair by his bed, curled up with a blanket draped on top of her.

"You're awake." Said Severus, who came over and started to inspect him.

"Get off me." Lucius said irritably, swatting him away. "What's going on? Why do I hurt?" He asked, prodding his chest, wincing when it stung.

"You died." Stated Severus. "Dead for little over five minutes I'd say."

Lucius felt the urge to make a joke about losing brain cells but felt it was not the apt time, settling with an "Excuse me?"

"Harry Potter sent a killing curse at Rodolphus but, being the utter fool that he is, was unable to properly control such a spell and it hit you instead." Severus explained calmly.

"But, how am I still here?" Lucius asked, truly perplexed.

"Some very nasty blood magic." Severus replied, a look on his face that told Lucius it had not been pleasant. "Believe it or not, Rodolphus died for you, well, for Hermione."

Lucius was shocked, could not believe it was possible, but could tell Severus did not tell a lie.

"I will explain the details later, but for now I think there's someone who's been waiting to see you." He said, gesturing to Hermione who was just starting to wake up, shifting in the chair. And with that he left, giving his friend a smug smile before doing so.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open as the door shut behind Severus, almost immediately coming to settle on Lucius.

She smiled, the widest smile he'd ever seen her smile, and she jumped onto the bed and into his arms, kissing him thoroughly.

"I'd thought I'd lost you forever." She whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I thought you were gone."

"I'm here, Hermione, I'll always be here." He reassured her, pulling her close, the ache in his chest now so much greater than before. "I will never leave you again." He promised.

"Always yours." She said, just like the night when they first became one.

"Always yours."

* * *

They had held a funeral for Rodolphus whilst Lucius had still been recovering. It had apparently been a small and solemn affair, Rodolphus buried in the grounds of the Manor as they could not yet return him to his own home.

Hermione decided she could not face Harry for a long time. Her best friend had killed the man she loved and inadvertently, her own father, yet another parent lost to her.

Rodolphus' death had been hard for her to accept but she understood it. He could either run again, go to prison, or try and make up for all the horrific things he had done, try and give something to the woman he'd loved, to his daughter.

The aurors were searching for Hermione and Rodolphus, Draco unable to deter them from the Manor for more than a few days, so Lucius and Hermione left for his mothers' castle in Sweden. Lucius could not show himself, they knew they could not let anyone know about the tree, grateful it was safely locked away in the estate only Hermione could enter.

Hermione sent a letter to Harry, simply saying goodbye, so that he'd know she was still alive. They heard the search for her went on for months but they gave up eventually, all but Harry assuming Rodolphus had probably killed her. They questioned Andromeda, as was to be expected, but since no one other than Harry knew of her true connection to Rodolphus, they accepted whatever lie she told.

He and Hermione decided to live in the castle permanently. Draco, as far as the rest of the wizarding world was concerned, was now the Lord of the Malfoy Family, the only one left. His son came to visit them often, as did Severus and Narcissa, now living together on Lake Como, and Andromeda and Teddy came to see them too.

Lucius proposed to Hermione not long after they moved, and within the month they were married. The ceremony had been small, considering few knew them both to be alive, but it had been perfect, in the grounds of the Manor where no one could see them.

Shortly after, they discovered Hermione was with child, two, to be precise, and he was thrilled.

They still had the manticore egg and, after some weeks of research in the library, discovered something most interesting. Firstly they found that most records suggested the face was that of a beast, not a man, the incorrect description only coming about due to the manticores' ability to talk and think as wizards did. Secondly, and most intriguingly, it turned out that the Malfoy family had some sort of affinity with the creatures, explaining the manticore statues which had littered the Manor in the past. They continued to read about them and found that, if raised in the correct environment, they were not typically evil beasts, one record even suggesting they could become great companions of their owners.

It was fate, they decided, that the egg hatched the very day their twins were born, the lion cub like creature no bigger than the babies.

His little girl, Azadene, Hermione had insisted on calling her, was just like Hermione, her warm eyes just the same. His son, aptly named Lucius due to his striking resemblance to his father, was a much happier child than Lucius himself had been, something that pleased Lucius to no end.

Hermione had discreetly claimed the Lestrange estate through the family lawyers and it was decided that, since Draco had inherited Malfoy Manor, Scorpius after him, that Azadene would inherit the castle, Lucius the Lestrange Estate, once they restored it to it's original glory that was.

They kept up with the news from the wizarding world, their old friends. Severus and Narcissa were married. After a far too short stint in jail, and a lifetime of humiliation, Ronald Weasley was free and married with children of his own, as was Harry, who it was said had never been the same since that fateful day.

They managed to destroy the tree, some fiendfyre doing the job, the last leaf however, the one which had fallen when Rodolphus died, would not break, so they buried it with his body, it's power hidden forever. Now that no wizard could ever use the tree again, the risk of a new dark lord averted, they decided it was safe to expose Lucius as being alive once more. So, when the time came, Azadene and Lucius went off to Hogwarts, feeling it was time they re-introduced themselves to the wizarding world, Hermione never forgiving Harry, but knowing it was time they got back.

So, on a clear night that September, they bid farewell to their children, who insisted on flying to school on their manticore, Rodolphus.

"Remind me why we said yes to that." Hermione sighed as she waved them off, leaning into her husbands arms.

"Because we're far too soft." Lucius teased, giving her a kiss."And because they wanted to arrive in style." He added with a smug grin.

"They are Malfoys after all."

FIN

* * *

**Well, there it is, my silly, mostly happy, ending.**

**Hope it wasn't too cheesy and awful and I hope you liked the story.**

**I don't expect this will be the last story from me about these two as lots of little one shots came to my head when writing this that I don't expect I'll be able to resist writing.**

**Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this and sticking with it chapter after chapter, you've really helped me to keep writing, and of course extra thanks goes to my beta Mari681 who this would not have been possible without.**

**NOTE: I will be away without internet for about a month, leaving in the next couple of days, so apologies if I don't get back to reviewers etc. (At least I posted the chapter before I left :p)**

_**"Oh, you could have managed. :P I still say I like my version better, when I thought that Lucius had stayed dead, and the twins were Hermiones' (then) unborn children, and Hermione had went into hiding because "Yes, Hermione would have fled. Especially if she was pregnant. Not wanting to ever forgive Harry, and not ever being able to live with being mad at him, if she saw him every day." Anyways, I really enjoyed it! :) In spite of the ending. xD" - mari681** _


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